


The Black Prince

by Blue_Night



Series: Panthera [3]
Category: Football RPF, Original Work, Real Person Fiction, science fiction fandom
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alien Culture, Alien Planet, Aliens, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Anal Sex, Canon-Typical Violence, Explicit Sexual Content, Feeding, Fights, First Kiss, Frottage, Gift of Life, Happy Ending, Human Experimentation, Hurt/Comfort, Imprisonment, Kissing, Love/Hate, M/M, Mating Bond, Mating Rituals, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Science Fiction, Telepathy, first time having sex at all, gene-therapy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-07
Updated: 2018-05-21
Packaged: 2019-03-01 16:40:18
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 32,544
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13298928
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Night/pseuds/Blue_Night
Summary: Sequel to my storyThe Dark KingandA Golden Love, written by mariothellama.Ten years have passed since Marco has fallen in love with the Dark King and saved not only Robert and his panthera Bhaquaro with that, but also the entire galaxy. They live in peace now, and Erik as one of Marco's closest friends is the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Earth Federation now. He is happy for his friends but feels lonely because he hasn't found the one completing him so far.When he decides to visit one of their allied planets all alone with a small Fighter instead of traveling there with the flagship of their fleet, he crashes on an unknown planet. The ruler of this planet imprisons him, and he hates Earth with all of his heart and wants to send Erik into the arena to fight and die there. Will Erik be able to change the mind of his captor and perhaps even discover the mystery surrounding the Black Prince how his captor is called by everyone?





	1. Stranding

**Author's Note:**

  * For [mariothellama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariothellama/gifts).



> My dearest mariothellama,  
> I just couldn't help it, I love this universe so much. I can't promise how often and quick the updates will come, but the plot is worked out and written down. I'm rooting for not more than ten chapters, but it depends on Erik's and Nuri's plans... ;-) I also added a special player to this universe whom you love dearly as I happen to know, he will show up in the first chapter. This story is darker again, but you will also learn where the pantheras come from and how all began.  
> I hope that you will like this story as much as you liked _The Dark King_!!
> 
> My dear readers,  
> I didn't expect anyone to like the special universe of the fierce and beautiful panthera, and I was amazed and happy about the feedback the first part of this series has gotten. I hope you will like this third part too, it will tell you the origin of the pantheras and explain this universe further to you. I also really love writing Erik and Nuri together, and this was another chance to finally do that again. If you like this story, please let me know!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik crashes on an unknown planet with his Fighter after having been sucked into a space-anomaly, and he wakes up two weeks later in an unknown place to find out that he is a prisoner of the ruler of the capital Darmondo now...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nuri won't show up in this chapter except for a short minor appearance, but I hope the chapter will be interesting enough to read nonetheless. <33

_“I'm not sure that this is a good idea, Erik! You really shouldn't fly there with a small Fighter all on your own!”_

Erik cursed silently under his breath as he remembered Marco's worries and their quarrel about what had gotten him into the dangerous situation he found himself in now.

He had to admit that his best friend had been right, even though this was nothing he could think of trying to get his small spaceship back under control. He should have listened to Marco and travel to one of their allied planets on board the much larger flagship of their fleet they normally used for such official visits, but Erik had actually felt like choking on his duties and his restricted life for a couple of months by now. He had really needed some time on his own and being just Erik, the former young fighter pilot, for a while, instead of being Sir Erik Durm, Minister of Foreign Affairs of he Earth Federation, and flying to their allies alone had seemed to be a good idea to him.

It wasn't that he loved his job, quite the opposite. Being a part of the new government under Lukasz' presidency was an honor and something he normally considered more a profession and passion than just a simple job, helping to heal the wounds and bring peace to the galaxy was what he had dreamed of doing it ever since he had been a boy.

But seeing all of his closest friends finding their loved ones and partners for longer than a normal human lifetime was much harder than he had thought it to be.

Marco had Robert and Bhaquaro, Lukasz had finally completed his bond with Kubaro a couple of weeks ago, and Mathilda and Paparo had this kind of silent understanding Erik still couldn't fully understand. It had not so much to do with the telepathic bond between the pantheras and their humans, but more with Mathilda and her panthera being two kindred spirits, two beings who were tied together because of the painful and terrible experiences they had made in the past.

Erik was happy for all of his friends, but he couldn't help but feeling lonely and like an outsider or intruder every time they spent time together, and it had become worse after Mario having found his own love. Erik had been the only one not falling in love, none of the humans or pantheras he had encountered over the past ten years making his heart beat faster. He had close friends who were more family than friends to him, but he felt lonely and restless nonetheless.

The mere thought of being trapped on board their flagship with dutiful assistants and guards following him everywhere he went had increased the feeling of choking, and Erik had stubbornly insisted on taking a Fighter and fly to the planet lying at the borders of the Earth Federation territories. This part of their galaxy was still rather unknown, and Erik hadn't noticed the space anomaly ten thousand kilometers ahead of his small ship soon enough to avoid it, flying right into it and being in dire straits because of his short moment of abstraction.

The Fighter bounced and jolted like a race horse trying to shake off his rider in the tight grip of the anomaly, and Erik hit his head several times as tried to maneuver his small ship out of the danger, stars exploding before his eyes because of the pain shooting through his skull.

Red and violet mists swirled before the front screen of his cockpit, and Erik realized with dismay that he was sucked right into this strange mist, the forces threatening to tear his Fighter apart too strong to escape them with such a small spaceship.

The pulsing violet filled the entire screen now, and Erik lost consciousness for a few seconds when the small ship accelerated pretty fast as he was pulled into the swirling lights too fast to react in time properly.

The next thing he saw when he came back to his senses again was the surface of a planet coming nearer and nearer, the dark green of a thick jungle replacing the darkness of outer space far too quickly for Erik to manage a proper landing. His Fighter razed several large trees and bushes to the ground before it crashed down, racing through the thicket with far too much speed. The screen in front of him burst into a thousands of sharp pieces, covering the cockpit and everything else, and Erik was catapulted out of his seat when the trunk of a huge tree ended their crash landing abruptly.

He flew through the opening the bursting screen had left, tearing his uniform and his flesh at the sharp edges where the special space-proved glass was broken, and the air was pressed out of his lungs when he landed on the hard ground with a loud cracking noise, hitting his head on a large branch. He lay there for a moment, unable to breathe or move, his head screaming with pain, and the loud and angry hiss suddenly sounding at his right side made his blood freeze in his veins.

There was a black shadow, a dark face with glowing eyes and bared teeth, a cold touch on his lips.

Erik screamed and then, everything went dark.

 

***

 

_“This one will make for a good fighter. My beauty is hungry, he hasn't fed in a long time.”_

_“Are you sure that you want to send him in the arena, sire? He seems to be different from the others, and he could be helpful. His ship isn't as damaged as we thought it to be. It will never fly again, but we could use its technology to learn and be prepared,”_ a second voice said in a musing tone, a warm hand touching his temples where pain was throbbing in his head.

 _“What makes you think that he is different, my friend? He's just like all the others who crashed here, trying to intrude on our territory and spying on us. I don't need their technology to be prepared if they'll ever find their way here. I only need my armies,”_ the first voice asked, sounding more doubtful than truly angry with the second speaker.

 _“I don't know, sire. It's just a feeling. He came here alone and with a small ship only, and his face... He's just different,”_ the second voice tried to explain after a short pause hesitantly.

 _“That may be as it is, but he will fight in the arena nonetheless.”_ The first voice would have been smooth and beautiful if it hadn't been for the barely suppressed ire and hate now audible in it. “He will fight like the others. He will pay for what his people have done! Just make sure that he will survive and recover from the crash, I want him to be fit on his final day!”

There was a short pause before the second voice huffed a sigh. _“As you wish, sire. It shall be as you command, my lord.”_

 

***

 

Erik didn't know how long he had drifted between unconsciousness and wakefulness when he slowly came to again after what felt like an eternity – although wakefulness was probably not the right word for his state over the past hours – days, or perhaps even weeks? Erik had felt more like being in some kind of trance, and he had a bad taste in his mouth as if someone had drugged him, which was most likely the case.

He lay motionless and with his eyes still closed as he listened inwardly, searching for any signs of severe injuries, but he felt surprisingly well. He remembered vaguely some voices talking next to his bed, voices and the touches of a cool and gentle hand on his head and his body, but he wasn't sure whether it had truly happened or if he had just been hallucinating.

The cozy mattress he was lying upon was for sure real, and the young minster with the light-brown hair slowly opened his hazel-green eyes to take a look around.

The chamber was large and furnished with a table and two comfortable arm-chairs belonging to it, a large chest and a wardrobe all of them made of dark wood that reminded Erik of mahogany. It was polished and shining, and the carpenter must be a true master of his trade, because he or she had adorned the wood with complicated patterns carefully carved into the lid of the chest and the doors of the wardrobe.

He turned his head to both sides, and the small nightstand beside the bed was made of the same wood and with the same care, so the bed was probably similar to the rest of the furniture. There were two windows right under the ceiling, bright sunlight illuminating the chamber. It didn't look like a prison cell, but there were bars before the windows not only keeping thieves from entering the room through the windows, but also making it impossible for Erik to escape through them. Erik guessed that the heavy door was locked to keep him from walking through it after his waking up, although he couldn't really know whether or not he was a prisoner or a guest at this point.

The chest was sitting under one of the windows, while the table with the two chairs were standing before the wall next to the exit of his exquisite prison cell or sick chamber - depending on how one looked at it. Erik slowly sat up, closing his eyes to wait for the sudden dizziness to fade, and he wasn't surprised to find another smaller door opposite the wall with the windows. It probably led to a bathroom, a room that surely didn't have any windows or other exits for him to escape through them.

There was a mug waiting for him on the nightstand, and Erik took it to sniff on it, but it seemed to be clear water, and he was really thirsty. If his memory didn't play tricks on him, then he was supposed to fight in the arena against another person, another prisoner or warrior perhaps, so it wasn't likely that the water was poisoned. It could contain the drugs that had made him sleep for so long of course, but Erik doubted that. He quenched his thirst and got up from the bed to follow the call of nature, making his way to the smaller door.

He had been right with his guess, and the bath was as exquisite as the bedroom was, with a large tub, a water toilet and a sink where he could wash his face and his hands. The tub and the toilet were different from what he knew, they reminded Erik of what he had once seen when he had visited a museum about the ancient Romans. Erik didn't know how this should be possible, but he had to accept it as a matter of fact until he'd be able to get more information about this place and his unknown host.

The walls of his quarters were whitewashed without any ornaments, but a large carpet hung on the wall behind the headboard of the large bed, clearly handmade and showing several different scenes.

Riders dressed in armors were hunting animals Erik had never seen before, but his breath hitched in his throat when he saw the black cat-like animals running beside the alien mounts. Erik recognized pantheras when he saw one – even if it was only a picture on a carpet - and his throat tightened as he stared at the magnificent wall-cover.

Erik visited the jungles where the pantheras lived on a regular basis to let them feed on him, the gene-therapy making that possible without these amazing creatures needing to kill him, but they normally lived alone in their jungles and stayed away from the villages and cities of their human allies. There were only few pantheras living on each planet, and they preferred to live alone and meet their brethren only few times in their long lives, their mental link being enough for them not to feel lonely.

But these scenes showed at least ten pantheras hunting side by side with human aliens, and some of the scenes were battle-scenes with humans and pantheras fighting together against their enemies.

Erik had never heard of something like this, and Robert-Bhaquaro had told him and Lukasz a lot about their past and what was known about the times before Earth had started their horrible experiments´over the last ten years.

There was a time lying in the darkness of oblivion even Bhaquaro and Robert didn't know anything about, and Erik felt a thrill of excitement running through his body at the prospect of learning more about this time before he remembered that he was a prisoner and most likely wouldn't get the chance to learn anything useful before his 'final day' in the arena would arrive.

The sound of the door opening and closing made him whirl around his axis, and Erik stared at the man who had just come in, dressed in a simple white tunic with long sleeves and beige leather breeches like Erik had been dressed with by someone during his unconsciousness as well.

The tunic was held together with a leather belt slung around the slim waist of the other man, a small bag hanging down from it at his right side. Erik couldn't see any weapon, and the light gray-blue eyes observing him silently had a friendly and kind expression. There were a few lines around his eyes that made Erik think that his counterpart must be older than he was, but Erik hadn't aged over the last five years due to the gene-therapy and the regular feeding which kept him young, strong and healthy, so he couldn't be sure about that.

“I'm pleased to see you awake,” his counterpart finally spoke up in the same language Robert used when he was among his brothers and sisters. It was an old language that had been known on Earth centuries ago too, and Erik was glad that he had learned it to be able to talk to Robert's people. The other man used a different dialect though – which was only natural considering that he lived far away from the planet where Robert was born - but Erik understood him well enough to communicate with him.

“Yes, I am. My name is Erik, and I want to thank you for rescuing me after the crash-landing of my ship. I would have died without your help, so you saved my life, and I will always be indebted to you.”

His strange visitor looked pleased at his words, and Erik somehow got the feeling that he had passed some kind of test, even though he really didn't know what kind of test that could be.

“It wasn't me who found and saved you from the panthera that was about to drain you. But I was the one who has taken care of you and seen to your injuries ever since then. My name is Miro.”

“Hello Miro. I have to thank you for healing my wounds then. I don't remember much from my crash and what happened afterwards,” Erik replied thoughtfully. There was a distant memory of a black shadow and sharp teeth looming over him, but he didn't remember whether or not the panthera had tried to fed on him.

“Where am I if I'm allowed to ask?” Erik continued with a smile, hoping to get some information out of his visitor.

“You're in the capital, Erik, we call it Darmondo. These are actually my rooms, but I wanted you to be as comfortable as possible during your recovery. You were severely injured, you had a bad concussion and deep wounds on your arm and your shoulder. You had lost a lot of blood and were unconscious for days. I feared that you wouldn't survive because of the big swelling on your skull and the dangerous pressure it caused on your brain, but it obviously looked worse than it actually was.”

Erik nodded slowly. He suspected that the panthera had actually saved him as he had fed on him, not long enough to heal him, but long enough to save his life and make it possible for Miro to heal his injuries with his treatment afterwards and without leaving permanent damage on his brain because of the concussion and the swelling.

“I see. That's very kind of you, but I can stay somewhere else, Miro. I really don't want you having to stay somewhere else because of me.”

“I'm fine, don't worry about me, Erik. Do you remember anything of what's happened over the past two weeks?” Miro asked, watching him closely. He beckoned Erik to come over to the table and sit down, and Erik obeyed, meeting Miro's scrutiny calmly. “I remember voices, I think. One of them must have been you, but I don't recognize the other one.”

Miro opened the bag hanging at his right side to take a small lamp and a vial out of it. “Look at me, I need to check your eyes, Erik.” Erik did as he had been bid, staring at Miro and trying not to blink as the other man directed the lamp at him to examine his eyes carefully.

“The concussion has almost healed. You have to be careful for a few more days, but next week, you should be able to start with a light training.”

Erik lifted his eyebrows up questioningly. “Training? For what?” he inquired, even though he suspected that he already knew the answer.

“For the arena, Erik. My lord wants you to fight in the arena. You have intruded on his territory, and my lord doesn't take that well. There have been others before you trying to come here and spy on us, and all of them have lost their life in the arena.” Miro's voice was impassive, but his eyes were dark with regret and sympathy.

“I see. I didn't come here to spy on you or your lord, Miro. I actually didn't want to come here at all. My ship was pulled into an anomaly and I couldn't escape it in time. The anomaly brought me to this planet, and I crashed on it, but I never meant to disturb you. If you allow me to go back to my ship and repair my hyper-radio device, then my people will pick me up and leave you alone afterwards, I promise you.”

Miro's gaze hardened. “You come from Earth, Erik. Your people would never leave us alone. They are our enemies, have always been our enemies, and my lord will never allow you to leave this planet alive again.”

“But we have changed, Miro! There is peace in the entire galaxy for ten years, we have learned from the past and negotiated a peace treaty with all of our former enemies. I don't know if anyone knows about your planet, I at least didn't know about you before I crashed here, but I swear to you that no one will come here against your will. I am the minister of foreign affairs, it's within my power to make sure that you can live here undisturbed. You don't need to kill me to grant your freedom and independence.”

Miro sighed. “It's not me who has the power to decide that. Even if I believed you – and I am mot sure that I do that – my lord is the one in charge of your life and freedom now, he and no one else.”

“Then let me talk to him, Miro!” Erik pleaded desperately, hoping that he would find a way to get through to the other one and make him listen to him and help him. “I'm not your enemy, and I am not the enemy of your lord. Please, I must talk to him.”

Miro regarded Erik for a moment. “I will try my best, Erik, but I don't think that he will believe you, I'm sorry.”

“But I have to at least try it, Miro,” Erik said hoarsely, making a pleading gesture with his hand. “Who is your lord, Miro? He must have a name, mustn't he?”

Miro hesitated, staring at the carpet behind Erik for a moment, apparently lost in some memories haunting him. Erik waited with his heart beating in his throat, and he felt an icy chill running down on his spine when Miro looked at him again with an unreadable face.

“My lord does have a name, Erik. He is the ruler over Darmondo and the entire known planet, and he is well-known and respected among his subjects and feared among his enemies. He is kind to those who need him, but he will destroy and kill whoever dares to challenge him, and he is invincible and the most powerful ruler my people have ever known. He doesn't fear the deadly kiss of the panthera, and he hates your race more than anything, Erik.”

Erik stared at Miro with wide eyes, and the other man sighed again and shook his head.

“My lord is known as the Black Prince, Erik, and I'm truly sorry, but he will never let you go.”


	2. Training

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik slowly recovers from his injuries, and it is finally time for him to start training for his fight in the arena. Erik had asked Miro to talk to the Black Prince, but the ruler over Darmondo hasn't come to him so far. Will he get the chance to talk to the Black Prince before the fight?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest mariothellama,  
> I'm so happy that you liked the first chapter of the sequel to our stories, I hope that you will like the second one as well. <33

Miro had left Erik after promising to come back to him later again, and Erik had mused about what the Darmondorer how the inhabitants of Darmondo called themselves had told him.

It hadn't been that much Miro had been willing to share with him, not enough to answer his questions, but it had given him at least a vague idea of Darmondo's culture. The capital itself lay several miles away from the thick jungle where Erik's Fighter had crashed, nestled in a large valley between the mountains that bordered the green forests. The valley was only sparsely wooded, the prevalent landscape consisting of grassland and sand, but the large river meandering its way through the valley carried enough water even during the hot and dry summer months to provide Darmondo's residents with drinking water.

Erik had crashed on the planet a couple of days before the summer solstice, and it was midsummer and hot outside, the sun burning the grass and the sand; but it was comfortable inside the palace, the thick stonewalls working like an air conditioning system. Miro had visibly hesitated but then answered Erik's question about how the Darmondorer called their planet, and the brunet found himself murmuring the name of this world to himself when he was pacing up and down in his comfortable prison cell or standing before the carpet to regard the scenes with thoughtful and attentive eyes, searching for details he hadn't perhaps noticed before.

“Borushia, a beautiful name for a beautiful world. We would call your inhabitants Borushians, I guess - at least those not living in Darmondo.” Miro had also explained to him that there were several other smaller cities belonging to Darmondo and depending on the capital, and he had mentioned another country that lay far away at the other side of the jungle, but he had refused to tell Erik more about it.

Erik sighed, his gaze traveling over the hunting scenes for the umpteenth time. He still wondered how it was possible that there were so many pantheras hunting together with the Borushians because he remembered from Kubaro's and Bhaquaro's stories that their brethren didn't feel comfortable in close company with more than two or three pantheras, and this also only for a rather short amount of time.

These amazing beings were simply too dominant to accept other pantheras in their territories on the long run, and it would also have endangered not only the humans and other animals living close to them but also the pantheras themselves because of their way of feeding. It would have decimated the humans and animals living in the pantheras' territory to an extent that would lead to extinction of some of them, and this was something the pantheras tried to avoid.

It was different with other races, animals or humans, even though only few pantheras could stand crowds for longer than a few hours. Even nowadays with the gene-therapy that made the feeding a harmless and even pleasurable experience for both parties, the pantheras and the humans volunteering for the feeding, the cat-like intelligent hunters still preferred to stay solitary and alone in their jungles for most of the time.

Kubaro had learned to endure crowds for Lukasz' sake, and it was easier for Bhaquaro because he had always been trapped in a human body and had never known anything else. The panthera Robert shared his body with usually withdrew into the farthest corner of their mind and slept when it became too much for him though, and Robert and Marco visited Bhaquaro's planet on a regular basis to give their beloved panthera space to breathe and recover.

The scenes on the carpet led to the conclusion that the Borushian pantheras had lived - or still lived, Erik couldn't tell that for sure at this point – as domestic animals though, and this was something that simply wouldn't leave him alone.

Miro had refused to tell him more, even though he probably knew much more about Borushia's past than he let it show, and Erik would have to wait for the Black Prince to answer his questions.

The mysterious prince still hadn't visited him, although four more days had already passed, and Erik started to fear that he wouldn't come to him at all, but just let him fight in the arena and die there.

He had asked Miro about it, but the Darmondorer had only shaken his head. “My lord has left the capital for several days, and I don't know when he will come back to the palace, Erik. Apart from that, he doesn't want to talk to you at the moment. You'll have to wait until he is willing to do so, that's all I can tell you, Earthling.” Erik had been disappointed, but he couldn't do anything about it.

Miro came three times a day to check on him and keep him company for some time, and the young minister was grateful that he didn't need to eat alone. His state was improving with every day that passed, and Erik started to feel restless and frustrated. He wasn't used to just sitting around doing nothing, and everything would be better but being trapped in these rooms for one more day – even training in the arena for his fight.

“Who will be the one training with me?” asked Erik when he followed Miro through the long corridors of the castle, looking curiously around to learn more about the Darmondorer and the Black Prince. Their culture reminded him indeed of the ancient Romans, and Erik regretted deeply that he had stranded here under such circumstances and was a prisoner now instead of a welcomed emissary allowed to negotiate an alliance with this fascinating world.

“I will train you, Erik,” Miro said, and Erik was partly glad about that and partly disappointed. Glad because he already knew Miro and trusted him to act in his best interest instead of trying to betray him, disappointed because he had hoped that the Black Prince would perhaps be his trainer and give him the chance to prove his good will to him that way.

Which was of course ridiculous. The Black Prince was the ruler of Darmondo and the large territories belonging to the capital, he had better things to do than to train a hated prisoner he wanted to see dead.

“So you're not only a healer but also a fighter?” Erik asked, shooting Miro a sidelong glance. The other man's lips curled into a brief smile. “One thing does not rule out the other, Erik. Every healer should know how to fight and defend themselves and the ones they have to take care of, and every fighter should know how to treat wounds and injuries, right?”

“If you put it that way...” Erik squeezed his eyes shut when he stepped outside, blinded by the bright sunlight for a moment. His rooms were not that dark, but the windows under the ceiling were rather small to keep the chambers cool during the summer and warm enough during the winter months, and they created a cozy and comfortable slightly dim atmosphere even at high noon.

The young minister needed a moment until his vision had adjusted to his new surroundings, and he held his breath for a moment when he opened his eyes to look around. The castle where the Black Prince resided had been built on a rock that towered over the city, and Erik could overlook the entire capital from where they stood before the large front gate.

Darmondo was astonishing beautiful, neat whitewashed houses and buildings arranged around a huge perfectly round space that was enclosed by stairs-like stands – the arena of Darmondo - which was also the heart of the city.

Erik had always loved history and read each book he had found about the ancient cultures that had lived on Earth hundreds and thousands of years ago, and he was reminded of Greek and Roman cities again, even though Darmondo was not as big as Rome must have been.

The streets of the capital were as neat as the houses, large and made of accurately laid stones, and the four main streets aligned to the four cardinal directions all led to the arena and ended or began there – depending on how one viewed it. Erik guessed that they started at the arena as it was the center of the capital.

A huge and thick city wall made sure that possible attackers would have a hard time conquering Darmondo, just like it was hardly possible to conquer the castle watching over its city, because there was only a small and very steep path that connected the castle with the capital, offering no cover to those who made the effort to visit the residence of the Black Prince. Several watch towers placed at strategically important points in between the city wall completed the impressive sight Erik got from above, and the moving tiny black dots must be the guards patrolling along the wall.

If he hadn't already known it before this moment, then Erik would have realized now at the latest that the Borushian culture was a culture of warriors and fighters, the fact that the arena and not the market place built the center of the city was proof enough for that, and the thick wall protecting Darmondo only confirmed Erik's assumption.

The white houses shone in the bright light of the hot yellow sun, the deep blue cloudless sky increasing the effect, and the air was glimmering because of the merciless midsummer heat. Erik felt dizzy for a moment, he was still rather weak and disorientated after the long time he had been sick and trapped in his quarters, and he was grateful when Miro handed him a bottle with fresh and cool water.

“Drink carefully or you'll feel worse,” the healer reminded him, but Erik had never really stopped being an experienced soldier himself, and he only nodded and kept the water in his mouth for a moment before swallowing it down.

“Will we train in the arena?” was all he asked, and Miro shook his head. “No, you will enter the arena on your final day for the first time, Erik. There is another, smaller training arena behind the Tristone where your training will take place.”

“Tristone?” Erik took another sip from the water before handing the bottle back to the healer.

“The rock this castle is built upon is actually a formation of three rocks, but you can't see that from where we stand. The three rocks gave the castle its name.”

“I see.” Erik followed Miro along a path that led to the training arena, hoping that the day he was allowed to enter the arena wouldn't be his last day. Miro seemed to be convinced of that, but Erik intended to prove him and the Black Prince wrong, making them see the truth at last.

There was much more about the hated Earthlings than both men wanted to admit, and Erik would be the one teaching the Black Prince this important lesson.

 

***

 

Miro was a patient and very skilled teacher, and he found the perfect mixture of strictness and easiness that made Erik give his best, craving to show the healer that Erik might be a minister and an Earthling, but that he knew damn well how to fight himself.

They trained with long sticks, not with swords or other weapons like Erik had expected it at the beginning and considering what Miro had told him about the fight that was supposed to be his last one – meant to kill him in the end, but he didn't make the mistake of underestimating this kind of close combat. The sticks were lethal weapons if one only knew how to use them, and Erik had no doubts that Miro did know how to kill an enemy with his sticks.

The first six days had been horrible and exhausting, Erik had hardly managed to walk back to his quarters when Miro had eventually been done with him after hours of pushing him to his limits, still being so much weaker than he had thought that he actually was after his severe injuries, but his willpower and defiance had kept him upright, and the seventh day finally brought a change.

Erik was tired of being chased back and forth through the sandy arena, and he fought against the Darmondorer with grim determination, managing rather quickly to kick Miro's feet off from underneath him. He snarled triumphantly as he used the other man's short moment of shock to disarm him, kneel onto his chest and press his stick against Miro's throat, not hard enough to suffocate or injure him seriously, but enough to keep him immobile.

He actually hadn't wanted to reveal his skills when it came to close combat and stick-fighting so soon, but Erik was still too much of a soldier and fighter even after ten years not to try and defeat his adversary at least once. It might be foolish to show his own skills at this point, because Miro would surely report to the Black Prince and tell him that he needed to find an opponent who would be able to defeat the prisoner he wanted to see dead, but Erik was tired of pretending to be docile and too weak to be a real and worthy adversary.

“Do you yield?” he asked proudly, increasing the pressure on Miro's throat when the Darmondorer tried to shake him off. The other man stared up at him with both, astonishment and anger, but he finally nodded slowly and carefully. The stick Erik held against his throat allowed him only a tiny motion, but Erik had seen it, and his eyes lit up with triumph.

“I yield, Erik.”

Erik swung his leg over Miro's body to get off of him and rise to his feet, offering the other one his hand to help him up. He trusted Miro enough not to expect another attack, but he watched him closely to be prepared for that, and he let go of his hand instantly, grabbing his sticks again.

Miro's gaze was directed at something behind Erik's back though, and the way he bowed his head now made Erik spin around to see who had come to watch them. The Tristone was a large castle, but Erik had never met anybody else except for Miro, the other residents keeping their distance to him, and Miro was the only one who visited him on a regular basis. Erik had seen a few servants when they went to the training arena now and then, but they had always changed their direction and lowered their heads down, ignoring him completely. He suspected that the Black Prince had given them the order to do that, and he was experienced enough to sense the reason behind this order.

The Black Prince didn't want his prisoner to get the chance and find out more about his captor and the place where he lived, fearing that Erik would use the things he learned to his advantage. Erik wouldn't do that, but the hate and the mistrust the Black Prince held against the Earthlings went too deep to overcome them within a couple of weeks only.

Erik wasn't surprised to see the Black Prince standing in the entrance to the training ground, right where the wooden fence left a small opening to walk through it. The young minister at least guessed that the man standing there with spread legs and his arms crossed before his chest must be the Black Prince himself.

He wasn't as tall as Erik had imagined him to be, about the same height as he himself was, maybe even a little bit smaller, but not much, but his body was the body of a warrior, worked-out and perfectly sculptured, with broad shoulders and arms, and long and slim but strong-muscled legs. His skin had this golden tan only people spending a lot of time outside under the bright sun had, and his hair was slightly curled and of a rich and deep black.

The newcomer wore a short and sleeveless black armor over a tunic that reached down to the middle of his thighs, the material the clothing was made of shimmering black as well. The armor and the tunic would have suited a Roman legionary just as much, and the somewhat familiar and yet strange look was completed by black leather sandals.

Everything about the other man was black, from his hair down to the belt that accentuated his slim waist and where Erik could see a sword attached to it, the sheath made of the same black leather like the sandals and the belt were, and even the handle of the sword had been blackened. If Erik had to guess, then he would say that the blade was black as well.

The young minister let his gaze travel upwards again, to the face of the warrior. It was mostly hidden under a black mask that left only his mouth and his chin free, drawing the attention to the sensitive lips that were pressed to a thin line now. Two small slits allowed the man wearing the mask to look around and watch his surroundings, but Erik still wondered how the Black Prince managed to fight with this mask covering most of his face.

His eyes glittered behind the mask, and they weren't dark like Erik had expected them to be, but of an astonishing hazel-gray color – the most beautiful eyes he had actually seen in his whole life. They shone with anger and hate, but Erik couldn't avert his gaze, staring back at his captor like frozen in place, deeply under the spell of the other man's intense gaze.

It was only when the other man finally moved that Erik realized that the mask showed the stylized face of a panthera, even the small horns and sensor slits were there. It was a beautiful mask, a true masterpiece actually, and it added to the aura of danger and mystery surrounding the Black Prince, making Erik's heart beat faster with emotions he was afraid to explore them further.

The Black Prince stepped closer at last, with slow and well-measured graceful motions, the fierce predator creeping up on his prey with a low, guttural growl that vibrated in the hot air, demanding the surrender of his captive like he was surely used to get it from everyone the moment he came into sight.

Erik lifted his chin up, not willing to bow before a man who had captured and imprisoned him when he had been helpless and defenseless, injured and needing help, and his own hazel-green eyes sparkled with defiance and pride as he pursed his lips mockingly.

“Ah, the Black Prince is finally willing to notice my presence, how gracious!” he remarked ironically, and Miro standing beside him, bowing deeply before his lord, gasped out, but Erik ignored him.

“So I finally get to make the acquaintance of the fearsome and brave ruler over Darmondo who imprisons injured and defenseless travelers in dire straits – a truly remarkable and honorable attitude as I have to say. This certainly serves as a proper warning for your guests not to even think of trying to steal your silver cutlery after the feast. Or is your cutlery as black as you are? This would be suitable, wouldn't it, my lord? If you have come to watch me making a fool of myself, then I have to disappoint you, Black Prince. You might be able to force me into fighting in your arena, but I won't do you the favor and die there. If you want to see me dead, then you'll have to kill me yourself!”

The hazel-gray eyes lit up at his offending words, and the Black Prince bared his teeth to a hiss that betrayed the anger he felt about Erik's impudent behavior as much as it betrayed something akin to amazement about his braveness.

“Don't you doubt that I won't hesitate to fight against you myself in the unlikely case that you'll survive the fight against the one I've chosen to be your opponent, Earthling. The day you'll enter the arena will be your final day in this universe, there is no other way for you. You shouldn't have come to my world, Erik, because no Earthling is allowed to find Borushia and stay alive. You are not welcome here, and I won't let you oppress me and my people, this will never happen again. We are finally free, and you'll have to pay the prize for what your people have done to mine!” the Black Prince growled, and Erik would have found his voice beautiful if it hadn't sounded so hateful and angrily.

“My people haven't done anything to you, Black Prince! We have never come here, the Earth Federation don't even know that your planet exists!” he cried out, desperate to find a way to get through to the ruler of this world. “I wanted to visit one of our colonies, but a space anomaly brought me here by accident. We are no threat to you, there is peace in the entire galaxy for almost ten years now. The war is over, and the pantheras and all human races live together in peace and harmony.”

The eyes behind the mask shot angry fire at Erik. “I don't believe you! You are like all the other Earthlings I've had the displeasure to encounter so far, you're all lying, every single one of you!” The Black Prince crept closer again, and his musky and tempting male scent penetrated Erik's nose, tingling in his stomach and buzzing in his ears. Erik had never met anybody like the Black Prince in his whole life before, and he regretted it deeply that the dark lord ruling over Darmondo and its neighbor cities didn't want to listen to him.

“I am not an 'Earthling' how you call me, I am Erik Durm, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Earth Federation, and I am not lying to you!” Erik snarled back, being angry himself now, and he raised his sticks and glared at the Black Prince. “Fight against me, and I will prove to you that I am a worthy opponent to you and each of your fighters! I will not die in your damn arena, and I will prove to you that I am trustworthy and that I haven't lied to you about pantheras and all humans living in peace together in this galaxy! We have learned from our mistakes, and there will never be war again!”

The Black Prince snorted scornfully, but he jerked his head at Miro, who had watched them silently with wide eyes. It was clear to see that he had never witnessed any other person daring to talk to his lord like Erik was doing it, and Erik almost regretted it that he had lost his temper like that, but only almost.

“We'll see if your skills are as great as your mouth is big, _Minister of Foreign Affairs_ ,” the Black Prince now said, his eyes never leaving Erik's heated face as he addressed his healer now.

“Your sticks, Miro, and step back, this Earthling needs to be taught a lesson!”

Miro handed his own sticks to his lord with another deep and respectful bow before leaving the training arena, coming to a halt before the exit.

Erik didn't spare him a glance, his attention focused on the Black Prince only, the dark and mysterious ruler over Darmondo who hid his face behind the mask of a panthera. Did he do that to hide some ugly scars, or did he just want to spread fear and increase the aura of danger with that? Did he have to hide his true identity from his own people?

Erik couldn't think about these questions any longer, because his captor attacked him without warning, spinning around his axis so fast that Erik could hardly follow his motions, his long sticks whirling through the air as the Black Prince tried to land a blow against Erik's chest.

Erik was glad that Miro hadn't gone easy on him over the last three days, and he was grateful for the regular training with Robert he had had for more than five years. Every human letting pantheras feed on them needed to train and be in perfect shape because of the hunts that always came before the feeding, and only the strongest humans were accepted by the pantheras.

The volunteers needed to develop a very quick reaction time and foresightedness, and Robert was perfect as a training partner because he shared his body with one of these fierce and amazing predators. Stick-fighting was ideal for the training because it helped Erik and all the other volunteers to learn how to avoid getting hit by branches or stumbling over hidden roots in the thick jungles where the pantheras hunted them down, and only the understandable weakness after his severe injuries slowed Erik down as he parred the blow and jumped to the side.

His anger provided him with new strength though, and he wielded his own sticks over his head and before his body, jumping, running and spinning around as fast and quick as he had never done it before, his only goal to prove to the Black Prince that he was an opponent he had to reckon with.

Their groans and growls were the only sounds audible except for the loud clattering of the sticks, and Erik's eyes hurt from the hot and dry sand and his attempts not to lose the whirling black figure out of sight. The brunet didn't know how much time had passed when the Black Prince landed a hit against his chest, making him stumble backwards, the tip of the stick pressing into his sternum. Erik went motionless, staring at the other man who wasn't even breathing faster. Something about the Black Prince was strange, but Erik didn't know what it was. He drew in a shaky breath and this was the moment when realization hit him. His eyes went wide, but he didn't say anything, just pressed his lips together.

The ruler over Darmondo dressed in black regarded him with an unreadable expression in his glittering eyes before he slowly lowered the stick down. There was a strong connection between them, and Erik was sure that the Black Prince could feel it too, even though he fought against it.

Erik wished so desperately that they had met under different circumstances, that the prince would give him just one more chance to talk to him and prove to him that they didn't need to be enemies, and his throat tightened when the Black Prince just turned his head away from his sight with disgust, throwing the sticks in Miro's direction for his healer to catch them.

“Train with him for one more week, Miro. He will fight in the arena on Panthera's Day. His death will be our sacrifice for the Ancestors this year.”

Miro swallowed audibly, shooting Erik a regretful glance, but he only bowed his head before his lord.

“As you wish, sire.”

Erik opened his mouth, but no sound came out of it, and all he could do was watching the Black Prince leave the training ground, his almost inaudibly whispered “no, please don't do that!” fading in the hot summer breeze, unheard by the only one who could have changed his fate.


	3. Dreading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Black Prince finds himself unable to stay away from his fascinating prisoner, and he is dreading the Earthling's fight in the arena as much as Erik is dreading it...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest mariothellama,  
> I couldn't resist writing the next chapter of your story. I have it so clear in my mind, and I love it so much, as much as I loved writing _'The Dark King'_ for you. This story is different from the first part, but hopefully not less intriguing and pleasant to read. This chapter gives away some small hints of what's behind of all of this, I hope that they will make you curious about the next chapters... :-)
> 
> My dear readers, my pantheras and I would be happy and excited about your feedback, this series is very close to my heart, and hearing your thoughts and guesses would make me very happy. <33

“He is not like you have expected him to be, my lord, is he?”

The calm and quiet voice pulled the man standing before the window out of his dark thoughts, and he averted his gaze from the arena he had stared at with unseeing eyes for several minutes.

The Black Prince slowly turned around to face the speaker, wishing that the one who had asked this question wouldn't see as much as he actually did. The mask was no hindrance at all for Miro, the healer who was also his only confidant knew him too well not to detect the feelings he tried to keep to himself.

“He is braver than the other Earthlings before him have been,” he admitted reluctantly, trying to keep his own voice impassive. “But considering how cowardly all the others have been, this says only little about him. He is good with words – a useful skill for the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Earth Federation as I have to admit – but his courage will leave him when he's standing in the arena and supposed to fight against my beauty. It has been like this with his predecessors, and he is surely not any different from them.” The Black Prince had intended to sound scornful, but there were doubts about his own words audible in his husky voice he couldn't really hide from the other Darmondorer.

Truth to be told, the Earthling who called himself Erik had impressed the hell out of him with his tough demeanor, not only with his words, but also with his fighting. The Black Prince didn't know what a Minister of Foreign Affairs was supposed to do, but he highly doubted that the politicians of the Earth Federation rode or flew into the battle themselves. They had their armies and soldiers to do that for them, sitting in their safe bunkers while ordering others to risk their lives for their cowardly superiors.

But the young man with the light-brown hair, the handsome and delicate male features and the most beautiful hazel-green eyes he had ever seen had fought like a true warrior, and the Black Prince was honest enough to admit that he had had a hard time with defeating him even though Erik had still been weak from his injuries.

The dark lord ruling over Darmondo almost wished that things were different, that he and Erik could become friends and form a bond between their two worlds and cultures, but this could never happen, and it was useless to long for something he could never have.

“You don't really believe that, my lord,” Miro stated calmly, holding his lord's gaze as the Black Prince glared angrily at him, his hazel-gray eyes sparkling behind the mask.

“What is it that makes you say these things, healer?” the Black Prince groused, “you of all people should know how dangerous it is to listen to his sweet words that are only meant to deceive us.”

Miro lowered his eyes down at that for a moment, and he sighed, walking over to where his lord stood. “You need to eat something, my lord,” he reminded the Black Prince gently, changing the topic of their conversation, and his voice was surprisingly commanding for an underling. “You need to keep your strength for your people. They trust you, you are responsible for their well-being, sire.” The healer reached out and touched the soft lips now pressed to a thin and hard line of helpless anger with his fingertips, and the two so different men stared at each other for several long seconds.

His lips were burning where the other man touched him, but the Back Prince didn't try to pull away, just let the heat of Miro's fingers seep through the soft flesh of his mouth and spread out into his whole body. He shot a disgusted look at the platter with food waiting for him on the table when the other man slowly drew his hand back again, but he walked over and sat down when Miro gazed silently at him without objecting.

The food tasted like ashes in his mouth, but the Black Prince swallowed it down nonetheless, his heart and soul dreading the day when Erik would enter the arena to fight his final fight there. He didn't want to see Erik dead, his beauty shattered and drained, but he couldn't let him live, his people expecting him to fulfill the promise that had once been given to them, that no Earthling would ever come to Borushia and destroy their world.

It had to be like this, had been like this for centuries, and it wasn't upon him to change the course of life. He was the most powerful man not only of Darmondo and her neighbor cities, but of the entire planet, but there were things even beyond his reach and power; and Miro was right with what he said, his people needed him and trusted him to keep the promise. Letting the Earthling live would endanger all of them, and the Black Prince wasn't willing to put everything they had achieved at risk because of his own feelings and selfish wishes.

He took another bite from his food, fighting against the nausea that threatened to overcome him at the thought of his captive lying dead on the sand of the arena. He was the Black Prince, ruler over Darmondo and half of the planet, and his duties would always come first – although they condemned him to a lonely and unhappy life.

Miro watched him eat with an unreadable expression on his face, and the Black Prince had found his composure again when his plate was finally empty, his face stern and impassive like the face of a beautiful but lifeless marble statue.

“You can go now, healer. You have other things to do than watching me eat!” he said as he rose to his feet, his back straight and his eyes glowing behind the mask. “Make sure that the Earthling will entertain my subjects on Panthera's Day and not die too quickly. It has been a long time since the last arena fight, my people deserve to watch a great fight!”

Miro bowed before his lord. “Of course, sire, as you wish,” he said, turning around to leave the rather small and unobtrusive dining chamber that belonged to the private quarters of his lord.

The Black Prince watched him close the door, his doubts and fears rushing back into his mind when he was alone again, unwatched and with nothing than his dark thoughts to keep him company. His loneliness had never bothered him before the young man had crushed on his planet with his small spaceship, and he had never felt the urge to come closer to anybody else before he had looked into those hazel-green depths for the first time.

But here he was, craving something he didn't even really know what it was he longed for so badly with every fiber of his being, and the man who hid his face behind the black mask of the panthera roared in a sudden bout of fury and hit his fists against the closed door, squeezing his eyes shut and breathing hard as he fought against the despair, ire and self-loathe that threatened to overcome him.

Three more days before the Earthling would die in the arena, and the Black Prince knew that his own hopes and dreams would die with him, vanishing in the hot air when Erik would breathe his last breath in the arena of an unknown planet.

 

***

 

Erik was dreading the day he would have to fight for his life in the arena of Darmondo as much as he was actually anticipating it.

The waiting was slowly killing him, and he was grateful for each and every interruption of the boring daily routine, as small as it actually might be. Miro was still visiting him three times every day, taking his meals with him, and he took him to the training arena each morning and each afternoon of the remaining seven days that were left until Panthera's Day would finally dawn, the most important holiday on Borushia as Miro had been willing to tell him.

There were still far too many hours left in between though, hours Erik spent trapped in his luxurious prison cell with nothing else to do than to observe the carpet hanging on the wall in the attempt to get more information about this planet than he had already gotten. He already knew each of the various scenes and pictures by heart, even dreaming of them in his restless slumber, and he could see them clearly before his closed eyelids when he tried to relax after the exhausting training with Miro.

The hunting and fighting scenes were those he regarded the most, and he was still musing about the strange fact that there were at least eight or ten pantheras hunting and fighting together with their human masters. The behavior the pantheras showed on the carpet reminded Erik of hounds, and it seemed to be all weird and wrong regarding how intelligent and dominant pantheras actually were.

No panthera Erik knew would have submitted to any human like that, the willingness to make compromises some of these amazing creatures showed sometimes coming from their deep love for one special human and their wish for peace in the entire galaxy and not from a submissive nature. There was a mystery behind the pantheras of this world, and Erik regretted it that he would most likely never get the chance to solve it, sensing that solving this riddle would be important not only for Borushia, but for the Earth Federation and the planets belonging to them as well.

Miro was quiet these days, having withdrawn and being distant and reserved after Erik's fight with his lord, how he called the Black Prince, and Erik feared that he had annoyed and offended the only friend he had in Darmondo – if Miro had ever been something akin to a friend to him, that is – by talking to his admired lord the way Erik had dared to do it.

There were only two more days left before Panthera's Day when the door to his splendid prison cell opened all of a sudden, and Erik turned away from the carpet he had regarded again in the expectation to see Miro entering the chamber.

To his surprise, the Black Prince was standing on the threshold, looking silently at him, his posture the posture of a man awaiting an attack. Erik didn't know why the dark ruler over Darmondo should fear to be attacked in his own castle, and he as his prisoner was surely not in the position to merely think of making such a foolish attempt.

They stared at each other for a few seconds, each of them waiting for the other one to make the first move as they observed one another, the Black Prince hiding his emotions behind his mask while Erik lifted his chin up in defiance and challenge.

It was him who finally started, gesturing with at one of the chairs invitingly. “Welcome in my cozy dungeon, Black Prince, please have a seat. Everyone finding their way here to keep me company for a while is most welcome.” He walked to the table and sat down on the chair where he could face the door, waiting for his unexpected visitor to do the same and take the other seat.

The black mask moved a little bit as the Black Prince quirked one of his eyebrows. Erik at least guessed that the mysterious alien male possessed eyebrows like every human man did.

“Even I, your captor?” the lord of Darmondo inquired curiously, obviously not minding the mockery that had been audible in Erik's voice.

“Even you, Black Prince. Everything is better than me having to sit here uselessly and wait for my 'final' day to come without any distraction.”

The Black Prince pursed his lips, but he nodded in acknowledgment as he closed the door and stalked over to the table, sitting down on the chair opposite the Earthling how he preferred to call Erik. He put a small board onto the table he had held in his hand. Erik hadn't noticed it before, being too busied with watching the other man's face behind the mask.

The lord of Darmondo was dressed in black again, wearing his armor but not his sword this time. Erik was torn between taking it as a good sign for his well-meant intentions to get to know his prisoner better and thinking that the Black Prince didn't want to risk Erik grabbing his weapon to stab him.

“You want to play with me?” he asked, observing the board as the Black Prince took some tokens out of a small bag attached to the leather belt around his waist. They were black and white, just like Erik knew it from chess and other games that had been played on Earth since antiquity, and he could feel a thrill of excitement run down on his back.

The young minister didn't make the mistake of thinking that playing games with his captor would save him from fighting in the arena, but it would at least give him the chance to get to know this fascinating man better, and this was much more than he could have hoped for after their first encounter in the training arena a couple of days ago. His captor placed them on different fields on the board, and Erik wasn't surprised to see that the two biggest ones looked like miniature pantheras.

“It's a game of strategy and tactics,” the Black Prince said, sounding astonishing eager to teach the Earthling he wanted to see dead his favorite game, and Erik dared a cautious smile as he looked up from the board. “Please tell me the rules, I would really like to learn this game and play it with you.”

The Black Prince hesitated. “Even though you will die in the arena the day after tomorrow?” he asked hoarsely, and Erik held his gaze, laying all of his confidence in his own eyes. “I've already told you that I won't die in your arena, Black Prince. I know that I will have to fight there, but I won't die. You have to kill me yourself if you want to see me dead.”

The fascinating hazel-gray eyes looked uncertain and almost intrigued. “Miro has told me that you have improved a lot over the last days, Earthling. Your fighting skills are impressive as I have to admit, but they won't save you in the end. You cannot win against your opponent. No one can.”

“Hmm. Even not you?” Erik asked back, and the Black Prince averted his gaze and stared at the board without giving Erik an answer.

Erik sighed, wishing he wouldn't have started this talk that had only served to remind him of his destiny once more. “Even if that might be true, spending my last two days in your company and distracting myself from my imminent destiny is for sure better than thinking about what will happen in the arena, Black Prince. So yes, I am eager to learn this game even though I might not see the sun rise again after Panthera's Day.”

“Very well, listen carefully then, because I intend to win this game against you, Earthling.”

Erik smiled sadly, looking down at the board as well. “May I ask a favor from you, my lord? Consider it my last wish.”

The Black Prince swallowed hard, Erik could see his Adam's apple bob up and down. “What kind of favor?”

“I want you to call me Erik, not Earthling. Erik is my name, and this is who I am. I am Erik, a young man with hopes and dreams and feelings like every living being has, I am not just a random Earthling. Show me the respect every intelligent and sentient being deserves to get and call me by my name, Black Prince.”

His captor hesitated, his eyes fixed on the black panthera waiting on the board to hunt the white one belonging to Erik's tokens, and Erik held his breath as he waited for the other one to make up his mind. When he finally did, slowly raising his head to look at him, his eyes were hooded with several emotions Erik couldn't really detect.

“I will treat you with the respect you have earned with your honest words and your brave demeanor and call you by your name from now on, Erik.”

Erik nodded his head in a brief thankful bow. “Thank you, my lord.” They gazed at each other for one more moment before the Black Prince cleared his throat and started to explain the rules of the game to him, which weren't so different from chess actually. Erik listened carefully to him and watched the moves his captor made when he opened up the game, wishing that he could make him see the truth about him and Earth.

He had only two more days left to let the miracle come true, and Erik could only hope that he would find a way to convince the Black Prince that he wasn't his enemy and didn't intend to betray him.

Two more days before he would have to fight for his life in Darmondo's arena, but Erik refused to give up hope without having tried his very best to change the Black Prince's mind. Hope is the last thing to die after all, and sometimes miracles did happen, as unbelievable as it actually seemed to be.

 

***

 

He had known right from the start that calling Erik by his name was a bad idea, but he just hadn't been able to deny him the only wish Erik had uttered ever since he had captured and imprisoned him.

The Black Prince had stayed with his prisoner much longer than he had actually wanted to stay, playing two games with Erik and enjoying himself much more than he probably should have done it. He had never played with anyone else than Miro beforehand, and Erik had impressed him with his skills once more. The young man hadn't won against him, but he had come rather close to a draw, and this was much more than he had actually expected.

They hadn't talked much during the first game, but Erik had begun to tell him some stories about his childhood, and the Black Prince had found himself listening to his young prisoner with something akin to rapt devotion. Everything inside him had screamed that this was all wrong, that he shouldn't listen to his enemy, but he had done it nevertheless, feeling guilty for what he would have to do in two days, condemning Erik to a fate he didn't deserve at all.

The Black Prince sighed as he approached the heavy wooden door that led to Erik's quarters again, his fingers clutching the board as if it was his only lifeline.

Erik had just come back from his last training lesson before his fight the next day, Miro had informed him that the Earthling had refused to fight properly today. He had held his sticks but not even tried to par Miro's blows, letting the healer chase him over the training pitch until Miro had finally given up and brought him back to his chambers.

The young man stood before the carpet, staring at the scenes and ignoring his visitor completely when the Black Prince opened the door, but his stiff posture betrayed that he sensed the other man's presence and knew who was visiting him.

“Hello Erik,” he finally murmured, feeling uncertain and almost ashamed that he was intruding on the other man's privacy when it was so clear to see that all Erik wanted was to be left alone.

“The Black Prince has come to play again, hasn't he?” Erik's voice as he eventually spoke up after a long moment of silence was harsh and angry, and the Black Prince really couldn't blame him. The beautiful young man turned around to regard him with narrowed eyes.

“That's what all big cats do with their prey after all, isn't it? Pantheras are no exception from this rule, they like to hunt their prey down and play with them before finishing them with their deadly kiss.” Erik left the place where he had stood before the wall with the carpet to walk over to the door, coming to a halt a few inches before his captor.

“Do you want to know what I don't understand, Black Prince?” he demanded, and the lord of Darmondo couldn't croak out a single word, his throat tight with feelings he had never felt before this moment. His heart was beating hard and fast against his ribs, his blood was drumming in his ears that loud that it drowned out any other sound except for Erik's rough voice. His stomach was tied into a tight knot with a longing that came from the deepest parts of his soul, and his hands clenched at his sides to keep himself from touching the beautiful being glaring angrily at him with sparkling hazel-green eyes.

“You most likely don't care about what I unworthy Earthling have to say to you, but I will tell you nonetheless. What I don't understand is why you want me to die in your damn arena. Why don't you finish me right here and now? It would be so much more pleasurable for you, wouldn't it, King of the jungle?”

The Black Prince gasped out, and Erik let out a scornful laugh. “Yes, I know who you are, Black Prince – what you are! Does Miro know it, Lord of Darmondo?”

The young man didn't wait for his answer, he just continued right away. “Yes, I'm sure he knows who you truly are. But I suspect that your subjects don't have a bloody clue. I must admit that you're pretty good at hiding your true nature. Your skin is warm and your scent is almost only human, but only almost. Your scent was what gave you away when we were fighting – when you came close to me for the first time. You're good at hiding the creature inside you – the other one living in your body craving to drain me, but you're not good enough to deceive and fool me, _my lord_. Why don't you take what you want to have and kiss me, Black Prince? You don't need to trick me into agreeing to it by playing tactic games with me. All you'd have to do is ask, be sure that I would offer myself willingly to you!”

Erik stepped forward, dragging him close by his black armor until their mouths were crashing against each other. Erik's lips were soft and warm, so tempting and tantalizing as they moved over his mouth demandingly and urgently. They were ardent and angry, yet tender in some way, and they tasted of life and pleasure, so very much of pure and utter Erik that he groaned loudly with desperate need.

He could feel burning hunger rising in his guts, a hunger that could never be sated, a hunger he wasn't allowed to feel at all. His mind was spinning with this burning hunger and the desire to take every single ounce of what the beautiful young man had to offer, his thoughts clouded with need, hunger and desire.

“Just do it, Black Prince, give me the kiss of the panthera!” Erik whispered at his tingling lips, pressing closer and teasing him with the tip of his tongue. His burning and all-consuming hunger roared inside him like a living being, howling and raging in every cell of his body, the storm of his emotions threatening to blot out all reason.

The Black Prince snarled furiously, stepping back in the desperate attempt to keep his composure and not give in to Erik's so alluring invitation. “Don't do that, Earthling!” he growled, and Erik's eyes shot hazel-green fire at him.

“Who is the coward of the two of us now, Black Prince? Why don't you just take what's yours anyway? The winner takes it all, don't they? So do what you have wanted to do ever since you've seen my lying unconsciously in the dirt of your jungle, helpless and injured – when you saved my life just to let it end in your arena afterwards! Why wasting my precious life-energy with a stupid fight if kissing me to death would be so much more pleasurable for both of us?”

He listened to Erik's hateful words like frozen in place, unable to move, and the self-hate about what he had become and who he actually was overwhelmed him. The Black Prince turned around on his heels to flee from the place of his disgrace and shame, Erik's hissed words still echoing in his ears and his head when he had reached the safety and seclusion of his own quarters.

“Why are you running away from me, my lord? Why don't you kiss me? Are you afraid of yourself, dreading to find out who you truly are? I tell you something, my lord - you can't run away from yourself, never, no matter how hard you try to do so, _Black Prince_!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is actually some kind of bonus chapter, it wouldn't have been needed for the plot, but I couldn't resist writing it and more interaction between Erik and the Black Prince before the fight, and I must admit that I'm a little bit proud of it. I hope that you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. <33


	4. Fighting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Panthera's Day is dawning, and Erik has to fight in the arena...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest mariothellama,  
> this story demands to be written, especially this chapter. I hope that it is as special as I wanted it to be, I put all of my heart into it. <33

Panthera's Day dawned brightly, and Erik let the early daylight seep through his closed eyelids for a few minutes, lying completely still as he tried to comprehend the uniqueness of this special day.

It was the day his captor had defined to be his last day – his final day how the ruler over the proud capital called it – and in a few hours from now on, Erik would have to stand in the arena and fight against his unknown opponent.

The one nobody could defeat according to the Black Prince.

Erik still remembered how the Lord of Darmondo had run away from him the previous day, refusing to hear and see the truth. Erik had stared after him, his eyes burning and his throat tight, and he had been grateful when a young servant had brought his dinner instead of Miro, his gaze lowered down to the ground and leaving him instantly again. The brunet had been too upset and confused for company and polite conversation, and the healer saw so much more than Erik wanted to show, especially on the last evening before his fight.

The young minister eventually opened his eyes, getting up from the bed with tired motions. He had slept surprisingly well despite of what was awaiting him today, and he suspected that Miro had given him some herbals because the water had had a slightly bitter taste, not unpleasant, but easy to detect. Erik had drunk it nevertheless, not caring that he might drink some poison. He didn't think that the healer who also seemed to be the right hand of the Black Prince would go against his lord's decision and poison his prisoner to spare him the fight.

He decided to take a bath, his dignity and pride were the only things left for him, and he would enter the arena clean and with his head held up high. He had just finished his morning routine and dressed the white shirt and pants again that had been his only clothes since his waking up in Miro's quarters, when the door opened and Miro emerged on the threshold with his breakfast and fresh clothes Erik hadn't seen beforehand.

“Good morning, Erik,” the healer said, regarding their prisoner attentively for a couple seconds. Erik offered him a weak smile. “Good morning, Miro. Thank you for the herbals, they made me sleep like a baby,” he said without trying to hide the ironic undertone coloring his voice.

“I'm glad to hear that, I thought that you could be in the need of some help to find sleep. You have to be well-rested for your fight after all.” Miro put the platter onto the table and handed Erik the clothes.

The brunet observed them with a sigh. “Shall the colors remind me of the fact that I am one of the hated Earthlings or are they meant to remind the spectators that I am their enemy?” he asked, pulling his shirt over his head to dress the yellow-golden tunic with the short sleeves. Miro shot him an irritated look before turning around to the door to give Erik some privacy as he changed into the new clothes.

Erik sighed again and slipped into the breeches before smoothing out the tunic that reached down to his thighs. It was actually a beautiful tunic, adorned with shimmering black threads at the hems in a rather complicated and beautiful pattern. The breeches were made of smooth black leather and allowed him to move fluently, reaching down to his calves, and the black sandals fitted so perfectly that Erik felt as if he was walking barefoot on soft clouds. A small black leather cord completed the look, keeping the tunic in place around his waist, and Erik walked over to the bath to consider himself in the mirror.

“Nice,” he stated sarcastically when he had observed his reflection thoroughly, “I will at least die looking handsomely.” Erik had always known that he was good-looking without being conceited, and Miro had the decency to blush at his words and bite down on his bottom lip sheepishly.

“My lord has made these clothes for you himself, Erik. He thought that you would appreciate wearing the colors of your home instead of the white of the servants.”

This silenced Erik for a moment. His new outfit was beautiful and apparently hand-made with greatest care, and the thought of the Black Prince spending hours with sewing them for him touched Erik more than it should actually do. “I see,” he said at last and without any mockery or bitterness coloring his voice this time, refusing to ask himself whether or not the Black Prince or Miro had taken his measurements during his unconsciousness as thoroughly as they must have done it. It made him feel naked and vulnerable, and he needed to stay focused on the fight instead of musing about how the hands of his captor would feel on his bare skin. He crossed the room to seat himself at the table, not really hungry, but he knew that he had to preserve his strength.

“You're for sure not a simple servant, Miro, no matter which color you're wearing,” he remarked casually with a meaningful glance at Miro's white clothing, picking up the spoon to take a bite from the warm porridge. Miro's face was unreadable as he sat down on the other chair.

“People only see what they want to see, Erik,” he gave back with a shrug of his shoulders, filling Erik's mug with water. “There are no herbals or drugs this time, you can drink it,” he added when Erik sniffed at the clear liquid.

“It wouldn't matter anyway, I guess.” Erik sipped from the water and took another bite. “But thank you.”

Miro surprised him as he bowed his head before him, and the rest of their breakfast went by in silence, both of them deeply lost in their own heavy thoughts.

 

***

 

The streets of Darmondo were deserted when they rode to the arena two hours later, guarded by ten heavily armed guards dressed in black and wearing black helmets that covered their faces. The guards were the first Darmondorer Erik encountered except for the young servant last night and the few servants that had crossed their way when Miro had taken him to the training arena behind the fortress, but they didn't look at him and ignored him completely, just rode beside him like some kind of robots, their attention focused on the abandoned streets of the capital. They wouldn't let him escape though, and Erik was reasonable enough not to even think of trying to flee.

Erik had been astonished that he was allowed to ride on one of the horse-like mounts that lived on Borushia instead of having to walk to the arena, and he had been disappointed that the Black Prince hadn't come with them, but he done his best not to show his disappointment too clearly.

“The Black Prince will enter the loge as the last one, Erik,” Miro explained to him when he caught Erik looking around, and the young man bit down on his lip. “That's what's expected of him as the ruler of course,” he mused, regretting it that he couldn't explore the capital further. It was a beautiful place to live, that much was sure, but the loud noise coming from the center where the arena was made him feel queasy and anxious.

The arena was huge, that had been clear to see even from the distance, and Erik guessed that it offered enough room for each citizen to watch the spectacle. It was most likely that they didn't have to pay for the games, and Panthera's Day was the most important holiday of this fascinating culture, so attending the games was probably a duty each Darmondorer had to follow regardless of their own wishes and preferences.

The noise was almost deafening when they approached the gate that led to the big round where Erik would soon enough fight for his life, and Erik could see the crowd sitting on the benches of the stands, shouting and bouncing up and down in excitement and anticipation, small dark figures against the cloudless deep blue sky and the sun burning down on the white sand of the arena.

Erik couldn't understand what they shouted, but he could hear the hate and disgust in their voices, hate and disgust for the Earthling who had dared to come to their world. It didn't matter to them that Erik hadn't wanted to come here at all, that he had crashed with his Fighter and hardly survived the landing. It didn't matter to them that he was only a young man who had needed help and gotten imprisonment instead, a young man who wasn't a threat to them but just wanted to go home again.

To them, he was the enemy who needed to be killed, the hated Earthling who deserved to die a horrible and painful death in the arena, the sacred heart of their beloved city. Erik could almost feel the heartbeat of Darmondo vibrating under his feet, and he swallowed hard, his own heart clenching with sudden fear in his chest as the gate became bigger and bigger the closer they got to it.

The two halves of the gate opened silently for them like being moved by giant invisible hands when they reached it, and Erik rode into the arena flanked by the black guards, the shouting and screaming rising to new levels that made Erik's ears ring painfully.

He lifted his chin up in defiance, his eyes directed at the other side of the round where he could see another wooden gate. He guessed that his opponent would come through it when the time was right, and he dismounted his horse when Miro gave him a sign, positioning himself in the middle of the arena on the hot sand with slightly spread legs and the long sticks in his hands one of the guards handed down to him.

“The Ancestors will decided your fate, Erik,” Miro said, looking down at him with a strange expression, and Erik wondered briefly if the Ancestors were the gods this world worshiped or if they were something else, something he couldn't know and understand at this point. He had no problems with hearing the healer's words despite of the unbearably loud noise the Darmondorer made, it was almost as if Miro's voice was in his head – which was strange as Erik knew for sure that the other man was only human and not partly panthera like the Dark King had been.

Like the Black Prince must be as well.

Erik angrily pushed the thought of his captor aside. The Black Prince wanted to see him dead, and this was all he needed to know.

“It shall happen as they command it.” Miro now said as he bowed before him with his hands crossed before his chest, and Erik gritted his teeth and watched him ride back to the gate with the guards.

He was alone now, having to fight for the right to live, and all he could do was hope that the Ancestors would show mercy with him and give him another chance to prove himself worthy enough, because if they didn't, then the sun would never rise for him again when Panthera's Day was over.

 

***

 

The frenetic noise of the crowd that wanted to see his prisoner dead was sickening, and the lonely rider swallowed down the bitter bile rising in his throat as he rode through the abandoned streets of his city.

The Black Prince was late, the shouts of his subjects demanding the spectacle to begin becoming more and more impatient and demanding, and he realized that he had slowed down more and more with every mile, trying to prolong the inevitable.

The ruler over Darmondo settled his face into the stony mask he had mastered so perfectly as he approached the gate, flinching when the low growl beneath him turned into an angry hiss. He patted the shiny black fur of his dangerous mount, and the huge panthera he sat upon hissed again, accelerating his pace as the two gates swung to the sides.

“Soon, my beauty, soon you will get what you crave for, Shaquiro!” the Black Prince soothed him, and a heavy shiver ran through the panthera, a shiver of painful hunger his rider knew all too well himself.

The lonely man standing in the middle of the arena had only been a small black dot at first, but he grew taller as the panthera strode through the gate, his low growls vibrating in the Black Prince's body. He stopped near the entrance, and the Black Prince glided elegantly from the panthera, greeted by his subjects rising to their feet and screaming his name in high-pitched voices.

_“Black Prince, Lord of Darmondo, ruler over the pantheras, show mercy with your devoted subjects. Black Prince, Lord of Darmondo, ruler over the pantheras, pray for us to the Ancestors. Black Prince, Lord of Darmondo, ruler over the pantheras, protect your city. Black Prince, Lord of Darmondo...”_

He hated it, he had always hated it. But this was his destiny, his fate, just like fighting and dying in Darmondo's arena today was Erik's fate now.

The Black Prince glanced quietly at the other man, who stared back at him with defiantly glowing eyes, and he was grateful for the black mask that covered most of his face. He knew that his self-hate and disgust were showing clearly on his face, and his stomach cramped with a wave of nausea. He had to swallow three times before he could speak when the crowd went silent after the ritual words his subjects bestowed their honor upon him before every ritual fight on Panthera's Day, and he was astonished how firm and loud his own voice sounded when he spoke up:

“The Earthlings are our enemies, and they will face the wrath of the Ancestors each time one of them dares to come to our world! It shall happen as they command it! The Ancestors will decide your fate today, Erik. Your sacrifice will grant us freedom and peace, and your name will be added to the memorial for our enemies that each of them will feel the kiss of the panthera as their last kiss before they will leave this world forever. Feel the kiss of the panthera and please the Ancestors with your sacrifice, Erik!”

He stepped back until he could enter the small wooden lift that carried him upwards to the loge, his throat so tight that he felt like choking. Miro's warm hand helped him out of the lift and guided him to his seat, but he couldn't avert his eyes from the proud figure standing in the center of the arena without moving.

Erik's eyes were fixed on Shaquiro now, and he wanted to scream and shout that this was all wrong and that he couldn't do this. Erik was not like all the other Earthlings had been, he was different, and he knew for sure that he would die here today together with Erik, because Erik was the only reason for him to live. Erik was his hope and his love, and without him, life wouldn't be worth living any longer.

His chest ached with the screams that choked him and which he couldn't let out, and he closed his eyes for a moment when he gave the short mental order to Shaquiro against his will.

The huge panthera hissed and jumped forward, and the Black Prince opened his eyes again just in time to see Erik raising his sticks.

The fight had begun.

 

***

 

Erik didn't know who he had actually expected to be his opponent, but his knees buckled with relief when the Black Prince stepped into the lift after his speech.

Erik wasn't afraid to fight against the Lord of Darmondo himself, he had done so once and was positive that he was almost an even match to the dark ruler over the capital, but knew that his worries to hurt the man he felt drawn in to like a moth felt drawn in to the light that would finally kill it would keep him from truly fighting for his own life in the end.

Having to choose between his own death and the death of the man he loved with a force that shook him to the core Erik would always choose his own death, and he was grateful that he didn't have to make this decision now.

 _'Ah, really bad timing to realize that you're hopelessly in love with your captor, Erik Durm. You'd better concentrate on this beauty waiting to drain you if you ever want to get the chance to tell him how you feel about him!'_ he thought, shaking inwardly his head about the untimeliness of the unexpected and unwelcome revelation he had just made.

The young minister of foreign affairs of the Earth Federation pushed his feelings back into the farthest corner of his mind, willing his attention and his focus on the dangerous predator crouching on the other side of the arena, waiting impatiently for permission to attack his prey.

It came without warning, and the creature jumped forward with a loud roar, baring his teeth in anticipation of the deadly kiss it wanted to drain the human with.

Erik instinctively raised his sticks, his eyes fixed on the heavy black body landing only a few meters away from him. The behavior of the panthera somehow struck him odd, Erik had let these amazing beings hunt him down often enough to sense that something was strange about this one. It behaved like an animal – an intelligent one, but an animal nonetheless – and not like the pantheras Erik had encountered so far at all.

Erik ducked away quickly when the beast pushed itself off of the ground again, letting himself fall down to the ground and rolling to the side within the blink of an eye. His sticks grazed the panthera, and he creature let out a surprised and pained mewl, attacking Erik with blind fury. He rolled out of the panthera's reach as the beast tried to hit him with one of his huge front paws, jumping to his feet and ramming his stick into the shiny left flank before running to the side to get out of the panthera's reach and catch his breath again.

The panthera roared as he whirled around furiously, his heavy body tensing as he aimed at his human adversary again for his next jump.

Erik was head-blind like all humans, but Robert and Bhaquaro had taught him how to let a panthera know his wish to conversate and make them initiate mental contact with him by bundling his thoughts and directing them at the panthera he wanted to talk to. Erik had needed years to practice this useful skill, and he was glad that he had never given up on it but trained hard to learn it as he tried to do the same now, sending out a strong wave of soothing thoughts at the panthera about to attack him again.

The panthera stopped in the middle of his jump, a guttural growl escaping his throat as he landed hard on his front legs that gave in underneath him because of the impact of his weight. He seemed to be confused and disorientated for a split second, and Erik sent out another forceful wave, waiting anxiously for any kind of response. It didn't come in form of coherent thoughts, but the brunet could pick up the whirling mess of the panthera's mind that proved to him that he had been right with his assumption that this panthera was a real animal and didn't possess the intelligence he knew from Bhaquaro's brethren.

This one was exactely what the scientists had thought the pantheras to be when they had started their cruel experiments with them, a wild and untamed, dangerous being, his only goal to sate his hunger and feed on his human prey. There was something else behind the barrier of the panthera's primal instincts when Erik concentrated all of his thoughts on his animal opponent though, something coherent and somewhat alluring, and Erik realized that it must be the link between the panthera and his master, the Black Prince.

The Black Prince was the only one who could connect with the pantheras living on this planet because of what he was himself, and now the scenes on the carpet made finally sense to Erik. The pantheras living on Borushia were animals, the 'little brothers' of the pantheras who lived on their own on the other planets of the galaxy. Borushia must be the world where the pantheras had once come from, even though Erik didn't know how this had been possible and how they had developed to the intelligent race they were now.

Erik rose to his full height, looking the panthera straight into his glittering gray-green eyes, throwing his sticks to the ground carelessly. He knew that he risked a lot as he slowly walked towards the black predator with nothing than his hands to protect himself from another attack.

The panthera was watching him attentively, shivers wrecking his huge body as he tensed up again, confused by the unusual and fearless behavior of his quarry. The possibility that the Black Prince controlled the beast, making him attack Erik despite its obvious reluctance to do that was not as small as Erik wanted it to be, but this wouldn't keep him from doing what he was about to do. The panthera was just another victim in this fight like Erik, and he didn't want to harm the beautiful being that only acted out of instinct and hunger. He had most likely been starved, and Erik didn't want him to suffer more than necessary.

The panthera clearly didn't know what to make out of Erik's demeanor, but his sensor slits flared as he took in his scent, and Erik suddenly knew that this panthera must be the one that had fed on him after his crash.

“You're a real beauty, my friend, and you do recognize me, don't you? You have saved my life when you fed on me, and I am not your enemy,” Erik purred as he approached the beautiful panthera, making soothing sounds deep in his throat.

The panthera mewled and crouched down before the dauntless human, acknowledging Erik's superiority by tilting his mighty head to the side to offer his vulnerable throat to the young man. His horns twitched and his sensor slits flared again as he crawled closer to Erik, a smaller version of the horns and slits Erik knew from the intelligent pantheras, but still impressive.

The crowd had gone silent, the Darmondorer holding their breaths as they watched the unbelievable things happening in the arena, stunned into astonished and gaping anticipation of what would come next. The world seemed to come to a halt as Erik reached the panthera without any visible sign of fear, but he didn't care about the greedy spectators who had wanted to see him dead, all he cared about was the creature lying before him in a posture of complete and utter surrender.

“You're my good boy, aren't you?” he purred, kneeling down before the black body. The panthera eyed him mistrustfully, and Erik reached out to touch him, gently stroking the sensitive spot between his horns. The panthera whined and pressed into the touch, and Erik brought their faces together until their foreheads touched, his entire posture radiating confidence and calm as he locked eyes with the panthera.

“You have been the one saving my life, my beautiful boy, haven't you? I owe you then,” the young man murmured gently, and the panthera whined again and bent his head before him.

“I know that your hunger pains you, my friend, but you don't have to kill me, it doesn't have to be like this,” Erik whispered, closing his eyes and leaning in as he offered himself to the panthera willingly.

 

***

 

The hunger of the panthera was burning in his own body as the Black Prince stared down at the young man kneeling down on the sand before Shaquiro, being so beautiful and brave and fearless, undefeated and proud.

He couldn't hear what Erik was was whispering into Shaquiro's twitching ears, but he could feel the soothing waves the brave Earthling sent out through his own link with the panthera, Shaquiro's fear and excitement tingling in his mind as if it was his own.

The city seemed to hold her breath as the young man touched the huge animal crouching on the hot sand of the arena, and the Black Prince gasped out when Shaquiro began to lap at the delicious and alluring powerful stream of Erik's life-energy, his hungry gaze glued to the amazing young man who offered himself to the dangerous predator without hesitation.

The Black Prince didn't know how it was possible, but Erik didn't age like all the other Earthlings had done when Shaquiro had fed on them, his face remained unlined and youthful, his handsome male features suffused with pleasure and joy instead of pain and mortal fear.

He didn't know how much time had passed when Erik finally drew back and Shaquiro pushed his head against the young man's chest in submission and unquestioning love, but it felt like more than a life-time, and he was painfully aware of his own hunger raging in every cell of his tortured body, even more painful because he could sense Shaquiro's satisfaction through their mental link, a satisfaction he was denied to ever get it.

The panthera had fed on many humans and animals over the past centuries, but none of them had ever sated his hunger like Erik had actually done it, and the Black Prince craved to taste the beautiful young man himself and learn all of his secrets so badly that he felt like dying from the unbearable ache deep in his chest and his abdomen.

The Black Prince stared down at Erik with burning eyes, and he wondered briefly that he was still alive and hadn't just died from the sheer agony he felt.

“I promised you that I wouldn't die today, Black Prince, I promised you that I would leave the arena unharmed and alive.”

Erik's words echoed in the hot and dry air of the arena, and his subjects started to whisper, their eyes darting back and forth between the brave young man standing upright and proud in the arena with his hand resting on the black head of the panthera and their lord now rising to his feet.

“You did, Erik from Earth. The Ancestors have accepted your sacrifice, but they spared your life for some reasons only they know, and I will honor their decision and let you live as well. You will return to the Tristone and wait there for my decision about your future fate.”

The Black Prince couldn't stand being surrounded by so many people for even one more minute, and he turned around and stalked over to the stairs leading down to the ground of the arena without another word, his only wish to flee from the place of his disgrace. The guards stepped aside silently, their faces not visible behind the helmets, and the Black Prince lifted his chin up and walked past them with his lips pressed to a thin line and grimly shining hazel-gray eyes behind the panthera mask.

He could feel Miro's intense gaze on his back and he could hear the noise as the crowd started to shout again, but he didn't look back but just kept walking until he reached the edge of the jungle and the arena was only a small black spot in the distance.


	5. Understanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik has survived the fight in the arena, but the Black Prince has disappeared afterwards. Now Erik is determined to find him and finally gets some very needed answers...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest mariothellama,  
> I'm soooo happy that you like this story so much, it is very close to my heart. <33 This chapter will reveal more about the Black Prince and the pantheras, I hope you will like the stories I've chosen for them. I must admit that I am a little bit nervous and anxious about posting this chapter, but I am also very eager to post it and learn what you think about it.  
> I'll try my best to update as soon as possible again, and there will sweet and sexy times follow soon. :-)

They had brought him back to the fortress after the fight, and Erik found himself pacing up and down in his room like a caged panthera, wanting to growl and snarl with frustration like one of these amazing creatures. He hadn't seen the Black Prince since he had left the arena, and Erik was deeply worried about his well-being and he longed so badly to talk to him and tell him how he felt about him.

The young man couldn't even tell whether or not he was a prisoner any longer, and when he had eventually worked up the courage and walked over to the door, he found it unlocked and stepped outside with grim determination written all over his face.

He met only few servants on his way through the castle as he searched for Miro, and they all looked at him with awe and confused adoration visible in their eyes, just as if he was some kind of magician or so.

Erik ignored them mostly as he wandered around in the huge castle aimlessly, trying to remember the way to the front-gate or find at least the official rooms like a throne hall or something like that and which must exist somewhere in the residence of the ruler over such an important city like Darmondo actually was.

“Where do I find Miro the healer?” he finally asked a young woman when he realized that he wouldn't find him without help, and the maid blushed and lowered her gaze down, apparently not daring to look the conqueror of the panthera in the eyes.

But she pointed obediently at the adorned wooden gate at the other side of the large hall Erik had discovered by accident as he had taken the wrong turn and crossed a long corridor and where they stood now. It was a beautiful hall with several marble pillars supporting the ceiling, and Erik could see several paintings there, scenes similar to those on the carpet in his room he had regarded countless times.

“You will find our healer in the throne hall behind this door, my lord,” she said, and Erik frowned in irritation. “I'm not a lord, I'm just a simple man,” he murmured, but she shook her head vigorously. “You have defeated the panthera and survived the feeding, my lord. You must be the one our ruler has waited for for so long, so you are our lord now as well.”

The young maid headed in the other direction before Erik could react to her stunning revelation, and he shook his head and stalked over to the portal that was flanked by two heavily armed guards dressed in black armors. The brunet shot them a challenging look, but they just bowed respectfully before him and opened the right door for him to walk through.

It was apparent to him now that he wasn't a prisoner any longer, and to know this was a relief, but Erik was too anxious about where the Black Prince had disappeared to think more closely about the sudden change of his former state as the hated enemy and prisoner.

The throne hall was empty except for the lonely man standing before the throne and staring at it with unseeing eyes and the huge black animal crouching beside him. The panthera whined when he noticed Erik's presence, and the young man made his way to him, kneeling down onto the marble floor before the throne to stroke his head.

“Hey, my beautiful boy, here are you. You're missing your master as much as I'm missing him, aren't you?” he murmured, and the panthera whined again, pushing his snout against Erik's chest for comfort.

Erik peered up at Miro who had turned his head to stared down at him as though he had never seen him before.

“You owe me some answers, Miro,” Erik said sternly, and to his surprise and utter relief, the healer just nodded with a resigned expression.

“Yes, I know, Erik.” He pointed at the glass doors leading to a balcony behind the large throne. “I will tell you the story of Borushia and the pantheras, but come with me, I need some fresh air.”

Erik followed him around the magnificent throne, his steps faltering as he regarded it more closely. The large seat was hewn out of a large black rock, and it had the form of a panthera, the backrest being the head of the fierce predator and the arm-rests building his front paws. The snout was bared to the dangerous kiss of this amazing creature, and the stone was polished and shone like the soft fur of the living panthera pressing his heavy body against Erik's leg as they walked.

The balcony offered a breathtaking view over the capital and the jungle, the rich dark green of the thick forests contrasting with the azure blue of the cloudless sky and the golden sun in a breathtaking way. The white buildings of Darmondo shone in the sunlight, and Erik could see white mountains in the distance, melting with the horizon where the eyes of a human couldn't follow them any longer.

Borushia was such a beautiful world, and Erik felt as though he had finally come home after a long and exhausting journey, the firm and calm realization that he belonged here making him feel peaceful and filling him with new hope.

Miro stepped beside him and rested his hands on the railing, his thoughtful gaze directed at the round of the arena they could overlook from where they stood. It was empty now, the Darmondorer having returned to their own houses, and nothing reminded of the fight between one brave human and the panthera that had taken place there only a couple of hours ago any longer. The huge creature hand lain down before Erik's feet, looking up at the young man who had offered himself to him without fear with the unquestioning surrender and love only animals could feel.

There was a long moment of silence between them as the Darmondorer gathered his thoughts, and Erik waited patiently even though he longed to leave the Tristone and search for the one he loved with all his heart.

“I don't need to ask you if you know the difference between the pantheras living on the planets belonging to your Earth Federation and those living here on Borushia, I know that you do,” Miro finally started reluctantly.

“Yes, I know the difference. The pantheras I know are very intelligent and can communicate telepathically. They look like animals, but they are an amazing race of intelligent and sentient beings – most of them much more 'human' than us.” Erik bent down to stroke the soft fur of the pathera lying next to him. “This one here is sentient and rather intelligent for an animal, but he is an animal nonetheless.”

Miro nodded. “Yes, Shaquiro is an animal.”

Erik smiled. “Shaquiro, what a beautiful name you have, my good boy. It suits you,” he purred, and Shaquiro growled happily, pressing into the tender touch of his hand.

“The pantheras you know have once been like Shaquiro and his brethren. They lived on this planet in packs of five or six pantheras, the strongest one as the leader of the pack. They fed on other animals and humans when they got the chance, and they were feared and worshiped from the primitive humanoid species living here at the same time.

About hundred thousand years ago, an alien humanoid race, highly intelligent and with a very advanced technology, began to explore the galaxy, building colonies on many different worlds. They found Earth and the intelligent and adventurous humans living there, and they found Borushia and soon realized the potential of the pantheras. This race were worshiped as gods from the other human races that didn't possess their knowledge and technology, and they called their gods the 'Ancestors'.

The Ancestors brought their little brothers and sisters how they called the other human races to other worlds to let them settle there, that's the reason why there are so many worlds with human races in this galaxy. Most of them come from your planet, Erik, from Earth. The ancestors of the Borushians living here have once lived on your planet thousands of years ago as well.

When the Ancestors brought them here, they found the pantheras who fed on other animals the way you know it, living longer because of that than any other species the Ancestors had ever known. The huge black animals also fed on humans given the chance, and the Ancestors let them feed on them willingly when they saw that the regular feeding prolonged their life-span considerably. They didn't age like normal humans because of a special gene they had, and they let the pantheras feed on them as often as possible.

What they hadn't expected was that some of the pantheras started to develop telepathic abilities and the intelligence only humans like the Ancestors and their younger brothers and sisters had possessed so far over the millennia that passed.

When they realized what happened and that the pantheras became a threat to them and couldn't live like their animal brethren any longer, they brought those who were telepathic and as intelligent as the Ancestors were to different worlds, only three or four of them to each planet - where they could live in the jungles undisturbed and wouldn't become a real threat to the other species, animals as much as humans.

Pantheras are a monogenous race, they live for centuries because of their way of feeding, and they give birth to one offspring shortly before they die. Nature always sees to the right balance between life and death, it's us humans not caring about the consequences of our actions.

The Ancestors bred the pantheras as if they were pets for a rather long time, letting them feed on other animals only to make sure that they wouldn't develop a higher intelligence like their brethren, and they controlled the animal-like pantheras with their telepathic skills and let them hunt for them until they realized how dangerous their doing was. Nowadays, there are only a few pantheras living in the thick jungles of Borushia, and Shaquiro is the only panthera here in Darmondo and her neighbor cities. The Borushians fear the jungles for good reasons, because Shaquiro's brothers are a lethal danger for them.

The centuries and millennia went by, and the Ancestors reached a level of civilization from where it could only go downwards again. Their little brothers and sisters were still young enough to develop further, and the Ancestors knew that they had to let them find their own way and therefore finally withdrew to Borushia where they lived I seclusion. The prolonged life-span had had a side-effect they had ignored for too long, their own fertility had suffered from the feeding, and they realized that they would die out over the next five thousand years.

The few thousand Ancestors that had been left started to write their history down for their younger brothers and sisters, and when they had saved their knowledge and their history for the other human races living in this galaxy, storing it here in the palace, they gave up their physical existence and ascended to a higher level of incorporeal states.”

Miro went silent, and Erik thought about what the healer had told him. A lot of questions had finally been answered, but there were a lot of other things Erik still didn't understand. Yet, his most pressing concern was to find the Black Prince now, and so he turned his head to look at the other man.

“I understand a lot of things better now, and the story about the Ancestors will also help my friends to understand the history of this galaxy better. I had always wondered where the pantheras had come from and why they lived on so many different planets, but everything makes sense now. I don't know how it is even possible to give up one's physical body and exist as an incorporeal entity, but that's not important right now. I need to find the Black Price, Miro, and I won't allow you to keep me away from him any longer.”

Miro sighed, averting his eyes to stare at the arena again. “It would be for the best if you left him be, Earthling. You don't understand his true nature.”

“I understand him better than anybody else, healer, better than you if you really think that!” Erik gave back, his voice hard with impatience and anger. “I can't leave him, and me leaving him wouldn't be the best for him – only for you! I will find him even if you refuse to tell me where he is!”

“And how will you do that, Earthling?” Miro asked impassively, his posture stiff and hurt, but Erik didn't care about the feelings of the Darmondorer at the moment.

“Shaquiro will bring me to the Black Prince. He knows where he is, he will find him.” Erik knelt down before the black panthera watching him attentively, stroking his mighty head.

“Bring me to your master, my beautiful boy. He needs me!” Erik whispered into his ear, and the panthera rose onto his strong legs and rubbed his head against Erik's hip as if he wanted to mark him.

The young minister patted his shiny neck and swung his leg over Shaquiro's back. The panthera seemed to be fine with that, because he didn't try to shake him off but carried his precious cargo to through the throne hall, passing the large stony panthera throne and pushing against the wooden doors with his nose until the two guards opened them for the rider and his uncommon mount.

Erik shot a brief glance back at the balcony, and the expression on the healer's face as he watched them leave sent a shiver down on Erik's back. Miro was hiding something from him, something important, and Erik could only hope that he would find out what it was before it would be too late.

 

***

 

Erik had enjoyed their ride through the valley and the jungle much more than he had expected it because of his deep worries about the Black Prince, and he didn't feel any fear although night was already fallen over Borushia, the shadows becoming longer and longer when Shaquiro eventually stopped on a small clearing.

His breath hitched in his throat when he saw the slumped figure sitting on the grass in the center of the meadow, nothing about the broken alien male reminding of the strong and powerful ruler over Darmondo any longer. The Black Prince had undressed his armor and wore only his short sleeveless black tunic, and he looked so vulnerable and hopeless that Erik felt tears well up in his eyes.

He climbed down from the panthera's back, and Shaquiro disappeared into the jungle silently, sensing that his old and his new master needed to be alone and undisturbed for a while.

Erik crouched down before the other one, grateful that his former captor didn't try to run away from him. He must have felt their presence long before they had entered the clearing, Erik was sure that the mysterious Lord of Darmondo wearing the mask of the panthera to hide his face from the world had sensed them a rather long time before they had reached the clearing.

“You shouldn't have come here, Erik,” the Black Prince whispered hoarsely when the young man knelt down in front of him, afraid to meet his questioning gaze.

“Of course I needed to come here. I won't let you run away from me and – more important - from yourself any longer, Black Prince.” Erik hesitated to touch him, but he reached out to offer his hand to the other man to take it. The Black Prince stared at it, swallowing audibly, and his voice was only a croaked whisper when he said:

“I am dangerous, Erik. You don't know what I am. It should be you running away from me, I will only hurt you.”

“I know who you are.” Erik gently reached out to remove the black mask from the other man's face. “And you will never hurt me.”

The Black Prince froze when Erik finally pulled the mask from his face, seeing the one who was destined to be his mate for the very first time.

Erik regarded his chiseled and handsome male features, so human and beautiful and yet so alien and different. The Black Prince stared at him, his hazel-gray eyes dark with grief and fear, fear that Erik's expression would change from gentle and tender to disgusted and hateful.

The young man who had had to travel so far to find his true mate cupped the beautiful alien face, tracing along the sensor slits beside his aristocratic nose with tender fingertips. The Black Prince swallowed, a sigh escaping his throat that sounded like a sob.

“You're not surprised,” he whispered astonishedly, and Erik smiled, laying all the love he felt for him in his tender gaze. “Of course, I'm not, my beautiful panthera. I must admit that it took me a rather long time to find out what you were hiding from everyone except for Miro. You're body is always warm, not as cold as I know it from other pantheras when they are not freshly fed, and your scent is more human than actually panthera most of the time.  
At first I thought that you are a hybrid like the Dark King has been, but I realized that I was wrong when I touched your mind through your bond with Shaquiro. The mind-presence of a panthera is very different from those us humans have, and when I felt your unique mind-presence in Shaquiro's head, it was clear that you are only panthera. I don't know how this is possible because your body is human, but it doesn't really matter. You are the one I love, and nothing will ever change that.”

The panthera looked at him, cautious hope replacing the fear. “You love me, Erik? But I have trapped and imprisoned you, sentenced you to a painful death in the arena... How can you love me after all I've done to you?”

Erik stroked his cheeks and leaned in to press a gentle kiss onto his forehead. “You did what you did to protect your world. You didn't know me, all you knew was that the Earthlings you had encountered so far had only brought terror and pain to you and your brethren. I don't bear a grudge against you for what you did. But I have told you the truth, my beautiful panthera. We have changed and learned from our mistakes. There is peace in the galaxy, and no human and no panthera has to suffer any longer.”

The panthera who had been known as the Black Prince for centuries closed his eyes for a moment. “I believe you, Erik. And I love you too.”

“I know that you do. Will you do me the honor and tell me your name, love? Your real name, the one your father gave you?”

Erik's heart was beating fast in his chest as he waited for his beloved one to tell him his name, and the panthera who looked like a beautiful young man opened his eyes again and smiled at him.

“Nurio. My name is Nurio. It means Moonhunter in your language. No one has ever called me by my name though...”

“Not even Miro?” Erik asked hoarsely, and Nurio shook his head. “No, never.”

“Nurio.” Erik tasted the name on his tongue. “Moonhunter. What a wonderful name, my mate.” He wrapped his arm around Nurio's shoulder, and the panthera leaned against him, relaxing into Erik's protecting embrace.

“I am still not the one you think I am, Erik. I am a monster,” he murmured against Erik's shoulder, and the young man pulled him close. “You are not a monster, Nurio. You are a victim of the experiments my ancestors have tortured your race with, aren't you?”

Nurio nodded. “Yes, I am. But I am as guilty as they are because I killed my human host,” he confessed sadly, and Erik could hear the self-loathe in Nurio's raw voice.

“Tell me your story, Nurio, I want to understand what happened to you,” he murmured into Nurio's soft and fragrant dark hair, and the panthera sighed and cleared his throat.

“My human host was a young man, living a rather happy life with his family when the large ships from Earth landed near their village. They were treated like gods but they betrayed the people who had welcomed them on their world so happily, starting their terrible experiments with them. Most of them died in the process, but some turned out to be perfect hosts for the panthera DNA that was planted into them again and again. The new hybrids were perfect soldiers, stronger and almost invincible, but most of them became inhuman and insatiable monsters.

My human host fought hard against his tormentors, having to watch what they did to his friends and his beloved family, but he stood no chance against them. They infected him with the DNA of my father, one of the strongest pantheras who had ever lived, and he fought against me when I awoke inside his body too, trying to kill me. We fought terrible battles in his head, and I was so young and didn't know why I was there and what was happening to him and me, but I knew that I wanted to live just like he lived. I begged him to stop fighting against me and fight together with me against our common enemy instead, to help freeing our brothers and sisters, but he couldn't stand the thought of having to live with me inside him, to share his body with such a hateful creature like he thought us pantheras to be and in the end, he lost against me.”

Nurio's voice trailed off, and Erik pulled him close and rocked him, too shocked to find the right words for what his own people had done to other humans and the pantheras. He had read the reports and listened to Robert, Bhaquaro and Marco, but he hadn't understood until this moment what it for a panthera and their human hosts to share a body.

“I didn't want to kill him, I tried to save him, but he couldn't live like this, not after all the pain and torture that had been done to him and his family. The last thing he did – we did – before he some kind of just vanished from our shared body was to steal a small spaceship and flee from the world that had been his home, and he fought his last battle against me in the great void between the stars, hoping that we would both die there, the ship flying into a sun or crashing on a planet.”

“But you survived,” Erik whispered, and Nurio sighed. “Yes, I did. Ever since then I have to live with this guilt.”

“You were both victims, Nurio. Every living being fights for their life, it is the survival instinct each and everyone of us has. You didn't mean to kill him, you just wanted to live and not be killed by him.”

“I'm trying to believe that, but it's hard. I've always felt as if I had no right to even exist at all ever since then.” Nurio raised his head from Erik's shoulder to look at him. “I've felt this way until I met you. When I looked at you for the first time – back then when Shaquiro found you – I felt something stir inside me, something that gave me the hope that I could find my peace of mind one day, but you came from Earth and...”

“Hush, I know, it's fine, love. It's over. I promised you that I wouldn't die in your arena, didn't I?”

“Yes, you did.” Nurio buried his nose on Erik's shoulder again. “His name was Kasim. His mind isn't in this body any longer, but there are still his memories, I remember everything of his life before they came to change it forever.”

“Then there is something left from him,” Erik said, “Kasim will always live in your memory – and in mine from now on.”

Nurio pressed a kiss onto his neck. “I don't deserve you, but I am grateful that you love me. I was so lonely, trapped in the human body of a young man who didn't have any chance to keep his tormentors from destroying his world, forced to live a life I didn't choose for myself, always pretending to be someone I am not.”

“You're not alone any longer, my beautiful Moonhunter. I will always love you, and I will always be by your side from now on. I love you the way you are, you don't have to pretend to be someone you're not.”

“Thank you.” Nurio entangled their fingers in Erik's lap and rested his head on Erik's shoulder to look into the distance. “Kasim had an older brother, Robert. They used him for their experiments just like they used Kasim. They infected both of them with the same DNA. I sometimes wonder if my brother survived like I did.”

Erik flinched violently, his head snapping around as he stared at the panthera. “You are Fechtaro's other son? Bhaquaro's brother? Kasim was Robert's brother?”

Nurio stared back at him, shocked and speechless. “He is alive?” he finally whispered, “my brother is still alive?”

Erik pulled him close again, crying and laughing at the same time. “Yes, he is. Bhaquaro and Robert have both survived. They share the same body, and they have found their true mate, my best friend Marco.”

“But... but how is that possible?” Nurio stammered, and Erik could only shake his head in wonder.

“I don't really know that myself, to be honest, but it is. Robert and Bhaquaro have fought against Earth after your escape for centuries. I'm sure that you have heard about them from the other Earthlings who have stranded here on Borushia. They have been known and feared in the entire galaxy until ten years ago when Marco crashed on their planet and saved them with his love.”

“You mean that they are... that they were...”

Erik looked Nurio straight into his eyes and nodded almost grimly, but with a small, beautiful smile enlightening his handsome features.

“Yes, Nurio. They have been the Dark King.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Nuri is a panthera in a human body, and he is Robert's/Bhaquaro's brother. I had this twist already in my mind when I wrote the Dark King, I wanted Robert and Bhaquaro to have a brother so badly.
> 
> The concept of ascending in this story is not only inspired by the Ancients of the Stargate universe, the German sci fi booklet series Perry Rhodan wrote about an ascended race in the sixties of the last century, long before Stargate, and my idea came from both series. The Ancestors are strongly based on the Ancients from the Stargate though, and they have made mistakes like all 'imperfect' living beings are doing it now and then, even those with high intelligence and technology. (Especially those most likely...)
> 
> There will be some more explanations in the next chapter, why Nurio doesn't freeze like Robert did for example. :-)
> 
> Please share your thoughts with me, creating such a world is so exciting, and I would really love to know what you think about it. <33


	6. Kissing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik and Nurio complete their bond, and Erik shows his beloved Moonhunter what it means to be a panthera.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm on sick leave today because of a terrible toothache, but this way I could at least finish this chapter and post it earlier for you. <33  
> There are some first times in this chapter, and some more explanations. There are two more chapters left of this story before hopefully everyone will be happy, but the posting will depend on my health and the updates of other stories I want to see to as well.  
> I hope that this chapter is not too affected by my poor state, I did my best to make Nurio's and Erik's first kiss special.

The revelation that Nurio was actually Bhaquaro's brother – Robert's brother too in some way – was earth-shaking and nothing Erik had seen it coming only the slightest.

They sat on the meadow clinging to each other for dear life for a rather long time, neither of them being able to speak, and Erik simply pressed the panthera close and let his body do the talking for him, showing him his deep love without words. His arms were strong and protective around the trembling panthera seeking comfort in his embrace, and his lips were tender and gentle on his fragrant dark hair.

“They will be so happy when they learn that you have survived, love,” the young man with the beautiful hazel-green eyes finally murmured against his cheek, and Nurio flinched and shook his head.

“Robert will for sure hate me for what I did to his brother – his real brother Kasim,” he said sadly, but Erik knew deep in his heart that this wouldn't happen. “No, he will love you and welcome you in his arms, I know that, my wonderful mate. Don't be afraid, everything will be fine again. Tomorrow, we will go to the place where I crashed and repair my hyper-radio device, Lukasz, Marco and Robert must already be searching for me. They would never give up on me, they would never just leave me behind and stop in their attempts to find me.”

Nurio tensed up for a moment, and Erik knew what he was fearing. “I won't leave you, my beloved mate, my place is by your side now and in the future, and Borushia is my real home, the place where I belong. But they must learn that I am alive, they need to know what happened and learn the history of the galaxy like I've learned it. You don't have to fear that they will come to destroy our world, I would never let that happen.”

“I believe you.” Nurio smiled at Erik. “I will guide you to your Fighter tomorrow.”

“Thank you, love.” Erik regarded the beloved face with rapt devotion. He had fallen in love with the Black Prince without knowing how he looked like, and he actually didn't really care about Nurio's looks, but he was so beautiful with his human and yet alien male features, the small sensor slits alongside his nose proving so clearly that he was panthera, and the wonderful hazel-gray eyes shining with love and hope that Erik's breath faltered every time he looked at him. His thick dark curls were soft and Erik stroked them with gentle fingers, eliciting small purring noises from his panthera who leaned heavily against him, grateful that he didn't need to be the strong and fierce warrior he had been for so long for once.

“What happened after your escape?” the young minister asked, sensing how important it was for Nurio to tell him his whole story before they completed their bond.

“The things that happened after my final fight with Kasim are not clear in my memory, it is as if some kind of mist is covering them. The next thing I remember clearly is that I crashed on this planet like you did.” Nurio hesitated and took a deep breath. “Miro was the one who found me.”

Erik was not as surprised about that as he should probably be, he had already suspected that Miro was much more than a simple servant and healer. The way he had told Erik the story about the Ancestors had been too detailed to come just from a book or a memory stick, and Miro's entire behavior had never really been the behavior of a subject towards their ruler. The power and self-confidence radiating from the Darmondorer wasn't that obvious, but Erik had sensed them nevertheless.

“Miro is an Ancestor, isn't he?”

“Yes, he is. When the Ancestors ascended, they decided to let one of them guard this world and protect it for a fixed amount of time, taking turns so each of them would be Borushia's guard for a while. Miro was the guard when I crashed here, and the other Ancestors exiled him and forbade him to come back to them because he had helped me and saved my life instead of killing me. They feared and hated me because of my mere existence, a panthera in a human body - intelligent and much more powerful and dangerous than a panthera in their normal appearance - was a threat to them. Ever since then, Miro has to stay with me and guard me, making sure that I won't leave Borushia but protect the Borushians and the first pantheras – my little brothers – against any possible invaders from Earth.”

Erik nodded thoughtfully. “I see. So you have been a prisoner for centuries just like I have been a prisoner. It is about time to prove to them that no panthera is a threat to them. How did you feed over this long time-span, my beloved Moonhunter? If Miro was your guard, then he surely controlled your feeding and didn't let you feed oftentimes?”

They were not mentally connected at this point, but Erik could sense Nurio's hunger, his pain of being starved for a long time, and it angered him at the panthera's behalf. He didn't know if it was possible for Nurio to feed on an ascended Ancestor, but the first Ancestors had been able to let the pantheras feed on them without aging and being drained according to Miro's words, and Erik assumed that at least some of the Borushians must have this special gene Marco had too, making it possible for pantheras to feed on them without dying in the process.

Nurio blushed with shame and embarrassment. “I have never fed the way pantheras normally feed, Erik,” he confessed after several long seconds, his voice barely more than an inaudible murmur. “Kasim's tormentors starved me to make me docile and obey them, and then Kasim took the spaceship and escaped from his home world. I was severely injured and almost starved to death when Miro found me, and he healed me with his skills – his skills as the ascended Ancestor he actually is, not the way he healed you the traditional way with herbals and medical treatment. That's one of the reasons why he was exiled, there are strict rules that confine the use of their advanced skills. I was too close to death to heal me in another way though, and Miro is too softhearted and kind to watch any sentient living being die without helping them.

But he feared my true nature just as much as the other Ancestors did, and ever since then, he has provided me with new energy and made sure that I could gain the strength I needed to survive from normal food real human beings eat. I don't know how he does it, he just touches my lips and then I can eat and digest food, gaining the needed energy out of it. That's also the reason why my scent is mostly human and why my body temperature always stays at the same level. For him, I was the Black Prince, the Lord of Darmondo, never the panthera I actually am. I could perhaps have tried to feed when I was permitted to spend a few days here in the jungle, but I always felt that I had no right to do that after all the hurt and pain my mere existence had caused.”

Erik stared at the panthera, shocked and speechless. “He really forced you to live as a human just because you were trapped in a human body? He never allowed you to be your true self?” was all he could croak out at last, and Nurio swallowed hard and nodded.

“Yes. Food preserves my strength, but it doesn't really sate me, and it tastes like ashes in my mouth and makes me feel sick for hours. I don't know how to explain it. Miro's touch keeps me from aging and starving, but there is always this fire burning inside me, the pain of something I crave so badly that it's driving me mad sometimes. I know that I shouldn't feel starved because physically I am not, but my mind and my soul are not able to comprehend that and long for the feeding like pantheras feed, no matter how full and sated I actually am.”

“I can imagine, love. You are panthera, not human, no matter what you look like, nothing than the real feeding will ever fulfill you,” whispered Erik, choking on the tears Nurio couldn't cry for himself. “So you have never felt the pleasure of your own kiss when you have fed the way it was always meant to be?”

Nurio simply shook his head. “No, never, Erik.”

Erik's blood was rushing faster through his veins, and he cupped Nurio's face with both hands and looked him deep into his eyes. “Then it is about time that you'll finally experience what it means to be a panthera, the wonderful and amazing being you truly are. I'd be truly honored to be the first one you finally feed on, my mate. I want you to kiss me like only a panthera can kiss another being.”

Nurio's eyes widened with hunger and fear, and he tried to pull away from his touch. “I can't do that, I would hurt you, my beloved Erik.”

Erik smiled tenderly at him. “Your kiss will never hurt me. I have let pantheras feed on me many, many times, Moonhunter, Shaquiro was the last one who did that. Your brothers Robert and Bhaquaro have found a cure, a gene-therapy that doubles the life-energy during the feeding – probably something similar to the gene of the Ancestors – and you can take what you need from me without fear. It will complete our bond and strengthen both of us.”

“But I have never done this before. I don't know how to do it, Erik. I have never been allowed to learn how pantheras kiss, I don't think that I will be able to learn that after the long time I've lived as a human.”

Erik rested their foreheads together, stroking his sensor slits with greatest tenderness. “You are panthera, Nurio. It is in your blood, you don't have to think about how to do it. You don't need to learn what is in your genes by nature, you will know how to do it when you kiss me. Just do it and go with your feelings. I'm here to help you, I will gladly be your loving and patient teacher.” He drew back to look at him again, his eyes shining with love and deep trust.

Nurio swallowed, and his gaze traveled hungrily over his face, and Erik could see his nostrils and sensor slits flare when the panthera took in his scent, musky and heavy with the arousal and lust Erik felt by the thought of feeling the kiss of his beloved panthera. There were still doubts visible in his hooded eyes, but the Black Prince rose to the surface of Nurio's fascinating personality with violent force, the predator hungry to claim what Erik was offering to him and feast on the human's delicious life-energy. The panthera unconsciously bared his lips to a possessive growl, and shivers of sheer need and desire wrecked his body.

Erik smiled encouragingly as he lay down onto the soft grass, pulling the alien male with him until Nurio covered his body. “I want your kiss, my beautiful panthera, I want you to claim me and make me yours with your kiss.”

Nurio stared down at him, the fierce hunter he actually was, and Erik pressed himself against his hard and strong frame, his mind clouded with lust and love. “Bond with me, Moonhunter, connect our minds and learn how it can be between pantheras and humans,” he whispered against Nurio's soft lips, pliant and willing in the panthera's tight embrace. “I love you so much, I want to feel your kiss, my beautiful panthera!”

Nurio's growl echoed on the clearing, and he bent down and pressed his mouth onto Erik's lips with hunger and passion, his mind reaching out for Erik's thoughts at the same time. Erik opened up for him, his mind welcoming the panthera happily, inviting him in, and his lips didn't hesitate to let his mate in and take what was his – had already been his even before they had first met.

Nurio was Erik's mate, the other half of his soul, completing him in a way no one else could do, and the beautiful young man moaned ardently when the other male tucked at the steady and warm stream of his precious life-energy, cautious and tentative at first, but soon with greatest passion.

 _'I love you so much, Nurio,'_ he cried out mentally into their bond, and then there was only pleasure and lust, and Erik lost himself in the panthera's kiss, nothing else in this world existing any longer.

 

***

 

It was overwhelming.

Nurio had always felt Shaquiro's hunger through their link, the pleasure and satisfaction when the panthera had fed on another living being, but it had always been from the distance, as if there was a wall separating him from the real experience. He had always only been a watcher, never a real part of it, and watching and sensing Shaquiro feed had only increased his own feeling of hunger and starvation.

This time it was different, this time he was finally the center of everything, warmth and pleasure surrounding him like a bubble that protected him from the cruel and cold world outside.

The human lying in his arms smelled and tasted better than anything he had ever smelled and tasted, Erik's slim and lithe body arching against him so delightfully, and his hands pulling at his hair to deepen their kiss and offer himself to his mate with unquestioning love and trust.

He was hungry, he was so incredibly hungry, and the beautiful young man was so full of energy and full of life, snuggling warm and happily into his arms, and his human lover's alluring and powerful strength floated into his own starved and aching body like delicious honey, smoothly and so temptingly. He needed more, more of this feeling, more energy, chasing the freezing cold deep down in his bones away, and the panthera growled and snarled as he ripped and tore at the steady stream, his hunger demanding to be finally sated after centuries of longing, clouding his thoughts and blotting out all reason.

Nurio was vaguely aware that he pulled at Erik's life-energy with far too much force and hunger, and he tried to draw back with a sudden bout of fear, his eyes snapping open, scared to find the wonderful being lying beneath him drained and dead.

 _'Hush, it's fine love, don't fret. I'm still here, I'm not hurt. You can take what you need, don't be afraid!'_ Erik's mind-voice was so tender and full of trust and joy even though the violent tearing at his life must hurt him by now, and Nurio dared to press him closer and deepen their kiss again, his tongue exploring the soft and tempting cavern of the human's sweet mouth as he sucked at the powerful stream again, much more gently this time.

Energy was floating into every cell of his body, the fire of a different need spreading out from his chest and into parts of his body where he had never felt anything like this before. He grew hard against Erik's abdomen, throbbing with a desire that was as forceful as his hunger was and yet so different.

 _'Erik, my sweet and precious Erik!'_ His mind was swimming with too many emotions, hunger and desire, love and happiness, confusion and confidence, all of them filling his heart and his soul until he feared that he would burst with too many feelings. _'I love you, I want you so much!'_ he confessed passionately, not really knowing what he needed and wanted, just that he would die if the desire burning in his groin wouldn't be satisfied.

His beloved human, the Earthling he had thought that he must hate and kill him, seemed to know quite well what he needed though, because strong and yet gentle hands pulled at his tunic and the small loincloth he wore underneath, removing them from the aching proof of his maleness. The lithe and warm body beneath him writhed and arched when Erik tugged at his own clothes to get them out of the way, and Nurio's ardent groan echoed in both of their heads when his with a strange need pulsing manhood rubbed against Erik's hardness for the very first time, no barrier separating them any longer.

The human's snarl was an answer to his own ardent growl, warm hands cupping his backside to rub their bodies against each other where Nurio needed it the most, their tongues dueling playfully for dominance.

The panthera called Black Prince had always hated his human body, but the panthera Nurio finally started to realize that his former hated body gave him the chance to be together with the one he loved in a way other pantheras couldn't, and he succumbed to the fire in his groin blazing higher and higher, following Erik's movements until they were both gasping with lust and pleasure.

He wanted to give the man he loved with all his heart something back for what he had offered him so badly, and Nurio instinctively reversed the process and let his own energy and warmth flow into Erik's body, giving him back what he had taken. He didn't even know how he was doing it, but his wonderful young man had been right, he didn't need to think about it, his true nature rising to the surface and making it possible so easily.

Nurio had thought that he would get hungry again if he did that, but the opposite was true, he felt sated and full of life and strength like never before, sensing and sharing the human's pleasure when his life flowed back into Erik's writhing frame again, the pain of starvation that had raged in his body ever since his first awakening fading to a distant memory until he couldn't feel it any longer.

The flames of his human desire burnt higher and higher with every up and down and back and forth though, the friction and the sensation of Erik rubbing hard and slick with pleasure against his shaft sending heavy shivers through his body. There was a strange tension building in his groin, becoming more and more intense, and Nurio cried out into Erik's mouth and his mind when it became too much and the world exploded into a million glittering pieces around him, his manhood shooting warm and wet between their bellies in waves of pure lust and ecstasy.

Nurio exploded with it, and then there was only bliss and warmth for a very long time.

 

***

 

Erik sensed that he needed to guide his beautiful Moonhunter through his very first feeding, his first kiss as the panthera he actually was at all.

The Black Prince had lived for so much longer than Erik could ever truly understand or imagine, but he was still innocent and pure, not knowing who he truly was. Miro had saved his life and kept him alive after that, but the Ancestors and their fears had condemned the poor and scared, confused creature he had been back then to a live a lonely and unhappy life full of self-hate and doubts.

Nurio deserved to finally know what it truly meant to be a panthera, and Erik would be his loving and patient teacher and show him the pleasures they could share.

The pull at his life-stream was desperate at first and actually hurt quite much, but Erik didn't fight against it, as he could feel Nurio's burning hunger and need through their bond as if they were his own feelings, his only wish to ease the pain and despair that had accompanied his lover for far too long. He surrendered willingly to the forceful tugging because fighting against the starved panthera would only make him pull harder and harder, and after a while, the despair and pain faded and gave way to the pleasure that came with Nurio experiencing for the first time what it meant to feel strong and powerful, sated and alive instead of desperate and starved.

The panthera's pleasure and lust was a mirror of Erik's feelings, and their shared lust soon awoke another kind of desire in both of them, pressing hard and needy against Erik's abdomen and his own erection. The young man would have loved to feel Nurio's longing for him deep inside his body like he felt him inside his mind and his soul, but they weren't prepared for this, and so he only pulled their clothes out of the way until Nurio's human body rubbed eagerly over his hard shaft, needy and tempting, silken skin over hard steel touching his aching member and which was responding to the sensation with happy twitches.

It was clear that this was another first time for Nurio, his surprise and astonishment about what was happening to him clear to sense through their connected thoughts. Erik cupped his round cheeks and moved against him, providing both of the with the very needed and so delicious friction that would satisfy them both soon enough.

His beautiful Moonhunter was shy at first, but he lost his reservation when the tension in his groin became too much, moving his hips against Erik's body demandingly and boosting their pleasure to incredible heights.

They were still kissing each other deeply with lips and teeth and tongues, energy floating back and forth between them like warm and smooth honey when Nurio instinctively reversed the feeding to give him back what he had taken, delicious and tempting and spiraling to higher levels with every second that passed.

Erik was so hard and wet, aching for release, throbbing and pulsing with raw need, and he arched his back and cried out hoarsely when the other male suddenly went rigid above him, spilling his ecstasy hot and wet against his own twitching shaft.

The young minister followed his mate over the edge and came hard, trapped beneath the heavy body shuddering through his first release ever, adding to the sticky mess on their bellies with jets of hot ecstasy. It went on like forever, their pleasure and joy intermingling in their minds until they were truly one being with two bodies, an inseparable unit.

Erik wrapped his arms tightly around Nurio when it was finally over, murmuring breathless words of love and happiness against his warm neck. The panthera made small purring noises of satisfaction, the pain of his hunger finally gone, every cell of his body brimming with life and pure bliss.

“Oh wow, that was wonderful!” Nurio's thoughts and voice were filled with wonder and joy, and Erik stroked his tousled hair. “Yes, it was. The most wonderful kiss I've ever gotten. It will always be like this between us. You will never have to starve again, my beloved panthera, never again. You'll never have to pretend again that you're someone you're not. That you are human and not panthera.” Erik chuckled. “Although I have to admit that your beautiful human body provides us with the opportunity to explore and share other, more human pleasures as well. That's nothing I would complain about.”

“You're right with that, human,” Nurio growled contentedly against his shoulder. “I intend to explore these pleasures I hadn't known about before more closely with you! Maybe living in a human body is not as bad as I've always thought it to be.” He paused, and his voice became hoarse with love and gratitude.

“Thank you for loving me, Erik. Thank you for loving me the way I am and showing me my true self.”

“You're welcome, my wonderful Moonhunter. I will always love you, Nurio. We are true mates now, and I will never leave you again, I promise you.”

Nurio lifted his head from his shoulder to look at him stroking his flushed cheeks with greatest tenderness.

“I love you too, my wonderful mate, more than anything. I can't live without you.”

“You don't have to.” Erik smiled at him. “Lukasz is a wonderful president, he has brought peace to the entire galaxy. He knows what it means to love a panthera, and he will make sure that Borushia will stay independent. They'll have to find another minister of foreign affairs, but that's how it is.”

Nurio kissed him on his swollen lips. “I believe you. But we have to convince Miro and the other Ancestors that the Earth Federation and the pantheras living in the galaxy are no threat to Borushia.”

“We will find a way to do that,” Erik assured him, stroking the beloved face of his mate. “You must rest, love. When was the last time you've slept?”

Nurio shrugged his shoulders, rolling to the side when Erik gently pushed against him. He watched the young man taking a bundle of grass stalks to clean them up before bringing their clothes back in order. “I'm not sure. Pantheras don't need much sleep when they are freshly fed, and Miro's way of feeding me always provided me with enough strength to stay awake for long time-spans. I've never been very keen on sleeping, not with the nightmares and memories always haunting me in my sleep.”

“There won't be any nightmares when you sleep in my arms, love.” Erik bundled him in his arms and pulled him close, and Nurio relaxed against him with a small sigh of sated happiness. A huge black shadow appeared on the clearing just when they had made themselves comfortable, and Erik realized that Shaquiro had watched over them for the entire time while they had completed their bond.

“Come here, my beautiful boy,” he purred, “your big brother needs to sleep, and you and I will watch his sleep and make sure that nobody will come here and disturb him.”

The panthera stalked over to them and lay down on the grass, winding his large body around his human-like brother, his soft belly protecting Nurio's back and keeping him warm, his steady low purrs serving as a perfect lullaby.

“Sleep well, my mate, your little brother and I will protect and warm you.” Erik kissed Nurio on his cheek, and the panthera who looked like a beautiful young man and had once been the feared Black Prince closed his eyes and fell asleep in Erik's arms with a small, happy smile curling around his well-kissed lips.


	7. Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Nurio has learned what it means to be panthera, and he promised Erik to let him contact his friends and allow them to come to Borushia. Will Erik be able to convince Miro to allow this to happen too?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promised to finish this story, and I always try to keep my promises, no matter how hard it seems to be, so here is the next chapter of this story.

The sun was already high up in the sky when Erik woke up with Nurio still sleeping in his arms. The young minister carefully stretched his limbs, turning his head to watch his beloved mate sleep for a while. The dark circles under the human panthera's eyes had faded overnight, and the Black Prince looked peaceful and young in his deep slumber.

Shaquiro rose to his feet when he saw that Erik was awake, growling low in his throat in a gentle good morning greeting.

“I wish you a good morning too, my beautiful boy,” Erik whispered, “thank you for watching over your big brother and me through the night.”

Shaquiro bent his head in a bow with another growl before disappearing between the tall trees surrounding the clearing, and Erik pressed a gentle kiss onto Nurio's forehead, smiling tenderly when his mate opened his beautiful hazel-gray eyes after a short moment.

“Good morning, Moonhunter. I can see that you have slept well and without any nightmares troubling you in your sleep,” he said, his fingertips tracing gentle patterns over Nurio's alien male features with rapt devotion.

“Good morning, my sweet Erik. You're right, I can't remember that I've ever slept as long and undisturbed as I've slept in your arms tonight. Will it always be like this between us, my wonderful human?” Nurio asked, his voice still husky from having been sound asleep only minutes ago.

“Yes, it will, Nurio, I promise you. I'm sorry that I had to wake you up, but I don't know how long the repair of my hyper radio device will take us, and I have to admit that I can't help but feel worried about my friends. They must be crazy with worries about my well-being by now, and I have to warn them about the anomaly that brought me here. They have surely already come close to this world during their search, and I would never forgive myself if something bad happened to them.”

“Don't apologize, Erik, I understand your fear. Your people need to know where you are, and I must admit that I'm impatient to see my brother after this incredibly long time – although I'm also afraid that he will hate me for what I did to Kasim.” Nurio sat up and blinked a few times to get rid of the dazed feeling in his head his long sleep must have left behind, and Erik did the same, looking around to orientate himself.

“You don't need to be afraid, my beloved mate. Robert and Bhaquaro will love you,” Erik soothed the panthera, and Nurio accepted his embrace and his kiss gratefully, smiling at the young man when they parted again.

“You need to eat and drink before I will guide you to your ship, Erik,” the former Black Prince finally took the lead after a short moment of thoughtful silence. “There is a creek not far away from here, and a bush with fresh berries you can eat.” The young minister followed his mate into the jungle without any sign of fear, knowing for sure that his beloved panthera wouldn't let any harm come to him. He could sense Shaquiro's quiet presence nearby, even though the large animal wasn't visible but still hiding between the trees, and Erik knew that Nurio's little brother would take care of his well-being too, not allowing any of his wild brothers to come close to them and harm him.

The water of the creek was clear and quenched Erik's thirst, and he wasn't surprised to see Nurio drink from the fresh water as well. Pantheras needed liquid for their blood as much any other living being with a circulatory system did, and Nurio lived in a human body that definitely needed fresh liquid on a regular basis. The berries tasted deliciously and revived Erik's spirits enough to make the walk to his fighter feel more like a nice stroll in a park instead of an exhausting march through a thick jungle, providing Erik with a wonderful view at Nurio's well-shaped backside when he trudged through the breathtakingly beautiful wilderness behind the other male.

Life was beautiful and Erik felt joyous and hopeful, looking forward to spending his life in this wonderful world with Nurio as his loving panthera and mate by his side.

 

***

 

Their walk to Erik's spaceship hadn't taken them as long as Nurio had thought, but he'd felt restless and worried for the last half an hour, unconsciously accelerating his footsteps until Erik had a hard time following him. The young man didn't complain though, just ran after him, his heavy breathing the only sounds breaking the silence except for the rustling of the twigs and the leaves they brushed against as they searched their way through the thicket.

Erik's sharp cry of surprise rang loudly in Nurio's ears when they reached the swath of destruction the Fighter had left behind when it had gone down, and he screamed furiously when he saw the man standing before the small ship, the golden glow surrounding him revealing his true nature undoubtedly. The glow was also shielding Erik's spaceship, not permitting them to enter it and repair the hyper radio device.

“Miro! What are you doing?” Nurio growled, his hand darting to where his sword was normally attached to his hip in an instinctive gesture. It wasn't there of course because he'd left Darmondo without his armor and his weapons, too confused and hurt to play the role of the merciless and invincible Black Prince any longer.

Miro simply raised his right hand, a bright flash leaving his palm as he did so, and Nurio was thrown back, falling down to the ground with a dull sound. Erik cried out again, rushing over to where the human panthera was lying on the burnt grass.

“Nurio! Are you hurt?” Erik touched his face, and the Lord of Darmondo struggled back onto his knees with a groan. “I'm fine, Erik,” he ground out, glancing up at the Ancestor who looked determined to keep them away from the Fighter at all costs.

“Miro! Why are you doing that to us?” he croaked out, and the Ancestor looked at him with a regretful expression. “I cannot allow Erik's people to find this planet, Nurio. They will come and bring destruction and harm to our world, and I won't let them do this to Borushia. The pantheras living here must stay a secret and protected, and Earth must never know about you, my lord!”

Nurio opened his mouth, but Erik touched his arm, smiling at him when Nurio searched his gaze. “Let me talk to Miro, my beloved mate. You have fought enough battles in your life.”

Everything inside the panthera screamed to protect his fragile human, fearing that Miro would harm him in his rage, but he nodded reluctantly when he saw the plea in Erik's beautiful hazel-green eyes. Erik sighed and got back to his feet, approaching the Ancestor slowly with his hands raised in a defensive gesture to show Miro that he didn't want to attack him.

“Miro, please listen to me. I know that you only want to protect this world, but my people will not destroy your planet. There is peace in this galaxy for years by now, and us humans have learned from our mistakes and will never use others for cruel experiments or oppress them.”

Miro's jaw worked, but he shook his head, not willing to believe Erik's words without any real proof that they were true. “You know nothing about me and this world, Earthling! I have sacrificed too much to protect this world long before you were even born to risk believing your words just like that!”

Erik stepped closer to the furious healer, unfazed by Miro's glowing eyes and his threateningly raised hand. Nurio watched him in amazement, his love for the beautiful human overwhelming him.

“You have told me a lot about this world and your own race, Ancestor. Moonhunter told me yesterday what you did to save his life and how your own kin punished you for that, condemning you to live on this planet and protect it for centuries and millennia. I don't know how immortal beings like you count time, but thousands of years without being allowed to be with your own race must have been hard for you nevertheless.  
Protecting Borushia was the right thing to do as long as my human ancestors and brethren were not wise enough to live in peace together, but we have grown during the centuries, learning from our mistakes. We live in peace with the other intelligent races in this galaxy now – no matter whether they are human, panthera or beings of another kind and appearance. Our president Lukasz is a really wise man, and he has found his own true mate in one of Nurio's brothers. It's about time for you and your ascended brothers and sisters to acknowledge us as your true successors and relatives, and it's about time for you to prove that you've learned from the past as well.  
Let me contact my friends and I will prove to you that you have nothing to fear. Lukasz and Robert won't come with ships and weapons, and they will never try to conquer Borushia and use the Borushians and the pantheras for any terrible experiment, I swear to you.”

Miro stared at Erik with flickering eyes, and Nurio felt pity with him when he realized that Miro had been as lonely and desperate as he himself had been for so long. His own people had abandoned him, condemned him to live in Darmondo and keep the Black Prince under control as a punishment for Miro's kind heart – just because Miro hadn't been able to watch the dangerous creature that had crashed on this planet die a painful death. Miro was an outsider just like his lord had been for centuries, having to hide his true nature from everyone except for Nurio himself, and the human panthera understood that Miro feared that he would never be allowed to return to his own people if he let Erik contact his friends.

Nurio rose to his feet, and he didn't waver when Miro raised his hand higher as a warning for him not to come closer. He took Erik's hand and smiled at the Ancestor who had been his only friend and teacher for so long.

“Miro, please, give Erik the chance to prove his words to be right. I trust him. He told me about my brothers Robert and Bhaquaro - who have once been the feared and hated Dark King - and who have formed an alliance with Erik's people because of his love to Erik's friend. Love can change hearts and minds, and love can change worlds and the future as well, we only have to believe in it.”

Miro swallowed hard, balling his hands as he fought an inner battle with himself, and Nurio squeezed Erik's hand tightly until the young man flinched, but Erik didn't pull his fingers away, just squeezed Nurio's hand back, waiting for the Ancestor to make up his mind.

When Miro finally did, Nurio heaved a relieved sigh, because the healer stepped away from the Fighter, bending his head before the two so different males, one of them young and human, the other one much older than he looked like and panthera, united in their deep love for each other. The bright orange-golden glowing shield surrounding the Fighter vanished, and the hatch opened at Miro's mental order.

“You may contact your friends, Erik,” the Ancestor said hoarsely. “I've fixed the damage your crash did to your Fighter and the hyper radio device.”

Erik nodded gratefully. “Will you also make sure that the anomaly won't harm their ship when they come here?” he asked quietly, and the faintest smile appeared on Miro's face. “You are far more clever than I gave you credit for, human,” he said, sounding not unkind. “Your friends will be safe when they try to land, you have my word on that.”

“Thank you, Miro,” Erik simply said, gently pulling his hand out of Nurio's grip to stalk over to his Fighter and contact his friends.

 

***

 

They came two days later, a rather small spaceship landing a few miles away from Darmondo's outer walls. It was still the biggest spaceship Nurio had ever seen, and his throat tightened with a sudden bout of fear when the roaring of the engines died out and the gangway reached the white sand of Borushia's ground.

Erik pulled impatiently at Nurio's hand in his eagerness to see his friends and family again, and the panthera followed him to the ship that loomed over their heads like a giant dark bird when they approached it. Miro kept his distance to the spaceship, his hand stroking absently Shaquiro's mighty head when Nurio shot a quick glance over his shoulder. Miro's ageless face was impassive, but his body was tensed and stiff, and Nurio knew that Miro wouldn't hesitate to destroy the ship if Erik's friends turned out to be not trustworthy.

“Marco, Robert, Bhaquaro!” Erik let go of his hand to run towards the gangway, laughing and crying at the same time when he embraced a handsome blond man, pressing him close and kissing him on his cheeks. Nurio felt jealous at the sight, but he couldn't really begrudge him this moment of happy reunion when he saw the joy and relief on Erik's beautiful features and the happiness on his friend's face.

The blond laughed and held his friend tight, murmuring something into his ear Nurio couldn't understand because of the distance, but the panthera forgot his jealousy completely when his eyes fell on the dark-haired man appearing behind Marco and Erik for the first time. It had been centuries ago since he'd last seen his brother – Kasim's brother – but Nurio still remembered Robert, and he froze in place, unable to move when he saw Robert turning his head to look at him, a pair of deep blue eyes staring into a pair of hazel-gray eyes, so different from each other and yet so similar.

Nurio felt like choking under the calm scrutiny, and he wanted to run away and hide somewhere when Robert directed his steps at him, coming closer with elegant and measured motions. The Black Prince watched the Dark King approaching him, and he couldn't move or breathe, unable to avert his eyes from the aristocratic features of the other male, so human and yet panthera, the same sensor slits Nurio called his own parting Robert's cheeks beside his nose.

Robert stopped in front of him, his intense gaze searching for something in Nurio's eyes, and the younger panthera was taken aback when he saw a soft smile enlightening the features of his brother. Erik had told him that Robert and Bhaquaro would accept him, but Nurio hadn't really believed him until this moment, thinking that at least the human Robert sharing his body with Nurio's panthera brother Bhaquaro must hate the creature that had killed his younger sibling.

But there was only warmth and joy visible in the cerulean depths when the former so hated Dark King reached out to pull Nurio into his arms for the very first time. “My little brother, you're alive.” Words whispered gently against his skin where the black tunic didn't cover his neck and his shoulders, warm fingers stroking his back in joyous wonder and soft lips pressing against the black curls covering his temples told him that his fears had been ungrounded, and Nurio sobbed loudly and wrapped his own arms around the other one, burying his face on his brother's shoulder.

“I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Robert. I'm so sorry for everything!” The words tumbled out of his mouth, words of sorrow and regret, but his brother soothed him tenderly, pulling him closer and rocking him gently. Nurio felt the soft tug at his mind when his brother reached out for his thoughts, asking for permission for the much more intimate contact, and Nurio opened his mind for his two brothers, the human and the panthera brother, seeking comfort in Robert's and Bhaquaro's loving presence.

_'Don't be sorry, little brother, there is nothing you need to ask our forgiveness for. We're just so happy that you're alive, that we've finally found you – both of us. Words can't express how much we've missed you, Moonhunter. Our father would be so proud of you.'_ Bhaquaro and Robert were both talking to him, and Nurio dove down into their strong mental bond, the deep wounds in his soul finally starting to close when he connected with his brothers and allowed their love to heal him.

 

***

 

“I will stay with Nurio, I won't leave my mate,” Erik stated for the umpteenth time when they sat together after the banquet that had taken place to welcome the visitors from another planet and celebrate the wonder of Erik surviving the ritual fight in the arena. There would be another celebration when Nurio would take him as his bonded mate some time later as well, but the young minister didn't really care about any official ceremony because deep in their hearts he and Nurio already were bonded mates.

“Of course you'll stay with your mate, Erik,” Marco confirmed patiently with a smile once more, not minding that Erik still felt the need to remind his friends that he wouldn't come back to Earth with them. “We will miss you, but your place is here at Moonhunter's side. Robert, Bhaquaro and I will come to visit you every month though, there is a lot our mates have to catch up with after all.”

Erik grinned when he saw the happy expression on the faces of the two brothers. Robert, Bhaquaro and Nurio had spent a lot of time together without Marco and him, and the handsome young man knew how important these times had been for both of them. Shaquiro had been their only companion when they had disappeared into the jungle, and Erik had used the opportunity to talk to Marco and Lukasz and convince Miro that the Earth Federation had no interest in conquering Borushia.

The Ancestor had finally agreed to building a permanent but small Earth Federation outpost near the capital that would allow spaceships to land on Borushia on a regular basis. Lukasz and Miro got along with each other much better than Erik had thought it possible at the beginning, the two so different men both wanting the same – that the galaxy would become a peaceful place that allowed every living being to live in freedom and without fear.

Lukasz would return to Borushia together with Kubaro on his next visit, and Erik was positive that even Miro's own people, the ascended Ancestors would finally change their minds and allow Miro to return to them. But if they didn't, then Miro would find a real home in Darmondo, surrounded by friends and people who cared deeply about him. The former so reserved and mistrustful healer had already started to change and open up, telling Lukasz, Marco and Erik the history of not only Borushia and the pantheras, but about Earth and all the other planets as well, and Lukasz and Marco had thanked him and promised him to always respect Borushia's freedom and protect it if necessary.

“We will have to leave you soon,” Lukasz now said regretfully, “but I will come back and bring Kubaro with me, I'm sure that he will be happy to meet his little brother Shaquiro. The cure we've found will help the Darmondorer, they will never have to fear the pantheras again.”

“We will come back to visit you again too,” Robert promised, and Erik felt a lump in his throat when he saw the joy on Nurio's face. “You will always be welcome here,” the Black Prince promised, and Erik entangled their fingers and raised his glass.

“There is a bright future in front of us, a future full of love and hope, so we have every right and reason to celebrate tonight,” he said, and his friends and his mate followed his example, humans and pantheras united in their love for each other and their willingness to build this future together.

Nurio looked deep in Erik's eyes when he lifted his own glass, and the love the young man could see in the beautiful hazel-gray depths took his breath away.

“Here's to the future, here's to us and here's to love,” the panthera who had been the Black Prince for so long said, and their friends raised their own glasses with smiling faces, their voices echoing in the soft air of the early night when they repeated Nurio's words, their happiness shining brighter than the candles on the large table and lighting up the large hall.

_“Here's to the future, here's to all of us! But most of all here's to love, because love is the only thing we need to build our future together!”_


	8. Loving

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erik and Nurio complete their bond, celebrating love and life together with their friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest mariothellama,  
> thank you for accompanying me on my journey through the world of the pantheras and loving them and their human mates as much as I love them. This series wouldn't exist without you. <33

The ceremony of Nurio and Erik's official bonding took place a few weeks after Nurio's happy reunion with his brothers Robert and Bhaquaro. Miro had kept his word and allowed Lukasz and Robert to build a small outpost near the city, and the Darmondorer had quickly gotten used to the sight of small but still impressive spaceships landing before the walls of their city on a regular basis.

Nurio had feared that his people would hate him when they saw him without the black mask he'd worn for centuries, being angry with him that he'd deceived them for so long, pretending to be human like them when he actually belonged to the race the Borushians had feared and loathed for so long. But Erik had convinced him to give it a try, and to Nurio's surprise and joy his subjects had cheered and shouted when he'd ridden through his city on Shaquiro's back, their love and pride for their lord visible on their faces and audible in their voices when they shouted his real name for the first time.

The palace sitting enthroned on top of the large rock Darmondo was nestled against was too small to let the ceremony and the feast take place there because Erik wanted each and every Darmondorer to be a part of the celebration and share their joy with them. Therefore they had decided to set up a new tradition and make their bond official in the large arena where so many young men had fought against Shaquiro and his brothers before Erik had come to save the Black Prince and the entire planet as well with his love.

Nurio was dressed in a silken black tunic that accentuated his dark beauty perfectly, a small golden cord slung around his slim waist and golden leather sandals completing his outfit. The tunic was adorned with thin golden threads, and Nurio looked like a real human prince, moving graciously like the panthera he actually was, and Erik couldn't take his eyes off his beautiful mate, his heart beating fast with love and desire. Nurio wore his stylized panthera mask again, but only until Erik would take it off after their vows, and his hazel-gray eyes were shining like precious gems behind the eye-slits, telling Erik how much his panthera loved and desired him, craving to take him as his mate as much as the beautiful young man craved it.

Erik wore a tunic similar to Nurio's, the silken fabric shimmering in a wonderful golden color. The hems of his garment were adorned with black threads, a small black cord keeping the tunic in place around his waist, and his sandals were made of the same leather as Nurio's sandals, but their color was a rich black instead of the beige-gold Nurio wore on his feet. Erik didn't wear a mask, his young and fresh male human beauty not needing any more jewelry to bring everybody looking at Erik under the young man's spell right away.

The Darmondorer loved their new human lord with all their hearts, and they showed their love for Erik when they shouted his name when he entered the large round of the arena together with Nurio and Shaquiro to greet their guests and wait for Miro to perform the official ceremony as their registrar.

Their friends had all come to celebrate with them, Robert, Bhaquaro and Marco, Mathilda, Mario and Lukasz, and the Darmondorer had shouted loudly when they had seen Kubaro stride beside his human mate with his golden head held up high, his horns twitching as he honored Nurio's subjects with a low friendly growl for their excited welcome. Lukasz had beamed all over his face at the warm welcome of their new allies and friends, his hand placed firmly on the golden panthera's strong back as the visible proof of their own strong bond. Humans and pantheras could even love each other when they were in their true forms, overcoming prejudices and boundaries with ease because love was love, no matter in which form it appeared.

They all sat in the royal box now, waiting for the ceremony to begin. Erik could feel the glances of his friends on his face, and he knew that they smiled down at him, but he had only eyes for his wonderful panthera, longing to complete their bond and prove his deep love for the former so feared Black Prince to every being living in this beautiful world.

The celebration had started with a theater play the Darmondorer had performed for their lord and his human mate, retelling the story of Erik's arrival and his fight with Shaquiro in the arena. Erik felt deeply touched that the people of his new home had done that for Nurio and him, and there really wasn't any better way to use the arena in the future Erik could think of. He searched for the warm hand of his beloved Moonhunter when Miro now entered the arena as well, the Ancestor's face showing a solemn expression as he crossed the large circle with well-measured steps to stop in front of the happy couple.

The healer was dressed in white as usual, his clothes adorned with silvery threads and patterns, and he looked happier than Erik had ever seen him, relaxed and grateful that he didn't need to consider Erik as his enemy anymore.  
Nurio gently squeezed his fingers and smiled reassuringly at him, and Erik smiled back before looking at Miro again, who spread his arms as he began to speak.

“You have come to Borushia as one of the feared and hated Earthlings, Erik Durm, but you have won not only the heart of our cherished Lord of Darmondo, but also the heart of every human and every panthera living on this planet. May the alliance between Earth and Borushia be as strong as the bond between you and our lord is, an alliance that will bring peace and a bright future to both of our worlds. Borushia and Earth shall be bonded mates like you and the Black Prince will be bonded mates from now on, united in love, trust and respect.”

The Ancestor took two beautiful bangles from the velvety black cushion that was attached to Shaquiro's shiny back, their shimmering black inlays contrasting wonderfully with the shimmering gold the bracelets were made of. Erik hadn't seen the bangles before this day, and his breath faltered when he realized that the inlays retold his fight with Shaquiro in the arena, the last scene showing him kneeling before Shaquiro when he'd offered himself to let the starved panthera feed on him.

Miro waited patiently until Erik looked up again, taking their entangled fingers to place them on the cushion on Shaquiro's back. The entire arena seemed to hold their breaths as well when the healer spoke up again, his voice hoarse with emotion and joy.

“These bangles are the visible sign of your mating bond, may your love for each other be as endless and unbreakable as these bracelets are.”

Miro closed one of the bangles around Nurio's left wrist before taking the other one to enclose Erik's right wrist with the bracelet as well. “You are bonded mates now, nothing and no one shall ever come between you as long as you live!”

The Ancestor stepped back with a deep, respectful bow, and Erik and Nurio turned around to face each other, their hands still interwoven on Shaqurio's back.

Erik raised his left hand to pull the black mask from Nurio's beautiful face, and his voice was firm and filled with love and happiness when he opened his mouth to say his vows.

“You came to me as the Black Prince and I didn't know anything about you back then, but my heart recognized you as my beloved mate right at first sight. My love for you will never die, and I will never leave you again. Our worlds shall always be united in love like we are, humans and pantheras living in peace and harmony together, tied together in love and friendship like it was always meant to be. You are my mate, my wonderful Moonhunter, and this is our world where I will live together with you from now on. I love you, Nurio.”

His mate smiled at him, and he took both of Erik's hands in his own ones, pressing them against his chest, right where his heart was beating for his precious human.

“You came to me as one of the hated and feared Earthlings, Erik, but your courage, kindness and faith conquered my lonely heart right from the start, and your love saved me when I'd lost all hope for a better future. No human will ever have to die because of a panthera again, and no panthera will ever have to feel the pain of their hunger burning them alive again. Our worlds will be united in love and peace like you and me are united in love. I will never stop loving and cherishing you my wonderful mate, and no human will ever have to fight in this arena again. From this day on, this arena will be a place where we will celebrate life and love together with our friends from Earth and all the other planets in this galaxy.”

Nurio's words were greeted with shouts of joys coming from the stands, and it took Erik a moment until he understood what the crowd was shouting so excitedly.

“Kiss, kiss, kiss, we want to see you kiss! Kiss, kiss, kiss, we want to see you kiss...”

Erik snickered when he saw Nurio's heated gaze directed at him, his cheeks coloring in an adorable pink. “I think that it is about time for our first kiss as bonded mates, my beautiful human. Our people want to see us kiss each other!” the panthera growled ardently, and Erik offered his lips to his mate happily, forgetting about everything else when Nurio touched his mouth with his lips tenderly and passionately, sealing their unbreakable bond with the kiss of the panthera like it was meant to be from the beginning, human and panthera finally united in love and happiness.

 

***

 

The moon was shining through the opened window, bathing the couple lying on the large and comfortable bed in its silvery light.

Erik smiled up at his mate, pulling the human panthera over his naked body to feel him as close as two beings could only be. Nurio looked down at him with shining eyes, searching for Erik's warm and smooth lips to kiss him, and Erik opened his mind for his beloved one when he felt the panthera reaching out for him with his thoughts.

It had been a wonderful celebration, all of their friends and family celebrating with them, pantheras and humans sitting side by side without any fear or hate separating them any longer. There had been another touching moment after their first kiss as trues mates, the air in front of them starting to flicker and glow brightly all of a sudden.

A dark shadow had formed in the middle of the golden glow, manifesting to a tall man with kindly looking eyes. Miro still standing beside Erik and Nurio had gasped out in shock and surprise, and Erik and Nurio had stared in stunned silence at the Ancestor, who smiled at them with approval in his gaze before turning to Miro and taking him by his shoulders.

“The council decided that you're welcome in our midst again, Miro. You protected Borushia well for as long as this world needed to be protected, but the world as we have known it for so long has changed, and it is about time for us to acknowledge our little brothers and sisters from Earth and all the other known planets as our rightful and worthy successors. Borushia and her creatures – humans and pantheras – don't need to be protected any longer, and you'll be welcome to return to us and live among your own kind in the future again.”

Miro had bowed before the other Ancestor and thanked him for his kind words, and Erik had been torn between his joy and happiness that Miro wasn't an outlaw any longer and his sorrow about having to say goodbye to his friend and mentor any time soon. He knew how much Miro had longed to return to his own people after the incredible long time he'd been forced to live as a Darmondorer, and his friend's words had surprised not only him, but Nurio gasping out loudly beside him as well as it had seemed.

“Thank you for your kind words, Juro, I appreciate them and I am happy that I am allowed to return to our own world, but I am still needed here, and I won't leave my younger brothers and sisters alone. There is so much they will need my advice and my guidance for in the future, and there is a lot we can learn from our siblings as well. Borushia has become my home over the centuries, and I will stay here for as long as my lord and his mate want me to stay.”

Juro had returned the bow to show his respect for Miro's decision. “You'll be welcome to return to us whenever you'll be ready to come back to our world again, Miro,” the other Ancestor had said before disappearing again, and Erik had hugged Miro and held him tight for several long minutes together with Nurio, shedding tears of joy and gratitude that he wouldn't lose his new friend.

Then they had guided Miro to the stands under the standing ovations of the crowd to spend the rest of the day with celebrating until night had fallen over the capital and Erik and Nurio had finally been allowed to withdraw and complete their bond the way they had longed to do for so long.

_'Are you happy, my beloved human?'_ Nurio now purred in his head, distracting Erik from his memories about their wonderful day, and the young man searched for his lips, craving to feel the kiss of his beloved panthera again.

'Happier than words can express, Moonhunter. Kiss me like only pantheras can kiss, make me yours for all of the time, my mate!' he answered, his eyes falling shut when Nurio kissed him hungrily, tugging gently at his delicious strength once more. Erik searched blindly for the small vial with the oil Marco had given him with a wink and a knowing smirk before Erik had left the feast, and the young man had made sure that he would be prepared for his mate before he had joined him in their splendid chambers. Nurio gasped out into his mouth when he felt Erik's warm fingers touching him where he was hard and aching for his beautiful human, shivers of raw need wrecking his lithe body when Erik coated his throbbing shaft with the fragrant oil.

_'Take me, Moonhunter!'_ Erik demanded through their mental bond, guiding his mate where he longed to feel him. Nothing had ever felt so good in his entire life, and Erik arched his back to feel Nurio deeper inside his body, wrapping his long legs and his arms tightly around him when the human panthera started to move. The Black Prince had been a feared and merciless warrior for ages, but the love of a young Earthling had saved him and slowed him that he didn't need to fight any longer, and Nurio possessed his beloved human with greatest passion and tenderness, the wonder and amazement he felt as he made love to Erik for the very first time enlightening his beautiful male features.

_'Love you so much, Erik. More than anything!'_ Their love and pleasure flowed back and forth between them like the steady stream of their life-energy, their thoughts and feelings intermingling until they were truly one being and Erik felt like flying and bursting at the same time. Nurio felt so perfect inside him, velvet smoothness and rock-hard steel massaging and stimulating his sensitive walls so deliciously, and Erik's own erection rubbed against Nurio's worked-out abs with every powerful thrust in, sending hot waves of ecstasy and lust through his tingling body. Nurio's tongue was everywhere inside his mouth, the tender conqueror licking and teasing all the sensitive spots until Erik was burning with desire, the panthera's passionate kiss making him feel so alive and powerful like never before.

Their shared pleasure spiraled higher and higher until it became too much to bear, and Erik cried out triumphantly into their mental bond when he came, every cell in his body humming with pleasure and satisfaction. His beautiful Moonhunter followed him over the edge with a passionate growl that echoed in both of their minds, filling the young man with his hot seed and completing their bond like both had craved for from the moment they had met on, even though neither Erik nor Nurio had known it back then. They shook through their shared height together, clinging to each other as they savored their ecstasy and love to the fullest, and Erik buried his face on Nurio's shoulder and inhaled deeply the wonderful scent of his mate as they listened to each other's breathing, glowing with the aftermath of their intense satisfaction.

_'I love you, I love you so much! Don't ever leave me,'_ Nurio whispered tenderly in his mind, and Erik held him tight and searched for his lips again, gently stroking Nurio's beautiful features. The small sensor slits quivered under his tender touch, and Erik cupped his face with his hands and looked him deep in the eyes.

“I will never leave you, my mate, I will always stay by your side. I didn't know what I was missing until I met you, and I fell in love with you right at first sight. I love you more than life itself, my wonderful Moonhunter, and this will never change. You and me together forever,” Erik said, and Nurio smiled at him. “You and me together forever, Erik, human and panthera united in love for all of the time,” he promised, sealing their bond with another deep kiss.

Erik kissed Nurio back happily, knowing that Lukasz and Kubaro, Marco, Robert and Bhaquaro were doing the same in the guest quarters of the palace, humans and pantheras renewing their strong bond to bring peace and love to the entire galaxy and build a happy future together.

It would be a future that would grant every living being a peaceful life in freedom and happiness, no matter which race or kin they belonged to.

 

_The End_


End file.
